LAND TAX is a branch of public revenue of England, which was first raised in its present form in 1692. It was contrary to the spirit of the feudal system that pecuniary assessments should be made upon land held by knight's service, the personal military services of the tenants being in this and in other countries considered as entitling them to exemption from tiding°, or direct taxation. The first inroad upon this principle in England was the payment of escuage at a com mutation for personal service. This was followed by pecuniary grants made by parliament in the form of subsidies upon the abolition of the military tenures by the Long Parliament, which was afterwards con firmed by the first parliament of Charles II.; the ground of exemption ceased, and land as well as personal estate was made tho subject of assessment.
Until 1799 the land-tax was granted by parliament for only one year, and the acts under which it was levied were renewed annually ; but in that year an act was passed rendering the tax perpetual, the object of this alteration being to facilitate the raising of money by means of its redemption. Under the conditions of this act the tax was offered for sale first to the owner of the land upon which it was chargeable, and if the purchase were declined by him then to any other person, in which latter case the purchaser was to receive the amount half-yearly from the receiver-general. The payments were in either case to be made not In money, but by the transfer of an equivalent amount of the national debt. Tho advantage stipulated on the part of the public) was, that if redeemed by the owner of tho land, the interest or annuity transferred in payment should exceed the annual amount of the tax redeemed by 10 per cent. ; and if purchased by an
indifferent party, that the interest or annuity should exceed that annual amount by 20 per cent. : for example, if the land-tax to be redeemed by the owner amounted to 61. per annum, the sum of 3 per cent. stock tole paid fur the same would be 1834 6s. 8d., the annuity in respect of which would be 61. 10s., or 10 per cent. advance upon the tax. If the purchaser were a stranger, the amount of 3 per cent, stock would be 200/., or an annuity of 61. per annum, being 20 per cent. advance. This manure mot with only a partial success, which occasioned several modification, to be made in its terms with the view of rendering them more acceptable to the landowners. The most important of these modifications were peened in 1811 and 1812, when the management was transferred from special commissioners to the Commissioners for the Affairs of Taxes; the preference given in previous acts to tho owners was revoked, except as regarded priority where competition appeared, and the purchase-money was made payable by thirty-two half-yearly instalments.
Tho rate at which this tax is charged is is. in tho pound on the annual value, as rated at the time of imposition. Consequiently the produce varies but little, ranging between 1,100,000/. and 1,200,000/. For the year ending March 31, 1859, it was 1,100,081/. for England, Wales, and Scotland. Ireland is exempt.