Community Charge

E79867

Community Charge was a highly controversial flat-rate local taxation system introduced in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s and early 1990s, widely known as the "poll tax" and ultimately replaced after mass public opposition.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf local taxation system
poll tax
abolishedInEnglandAndWales 1993
abolishedInScotland 1993
affectedPopulation most adults over 18
alsoKnownAs poll tax
the poll tax
appliesToJurisdiction England
Great Britain
Scotland
Wales
associatedWithPoliticalParty Conservative Party (UK)
classification failed public policy
collectionAuthority local authorities in Great Britain
controversialFor administrative complexity and high collection costs
criminalisation of non-payment
perceived unfairness of flat-rate charge regardless of income
country United Kingdom
exemptionCategory certain students
some low-income or vulnerable groups
historicalPeriod early 1990s
late 1980s
introducedBy Margaret Thatcher government
surface form: Conservative government
introducedInEnglandAndWales 1990
introducedInScotland 1989
keyProponent Margaret Thatcher
legacy became a symbol of unpopular taxation in UK politics
legalForm personal liability tax
legislatedBy British Parliament
surface form: Parliament of the United Kingdom
notableEvent Poll Tax Riots
surface form: Poll tax riots
notableProtest 31 March 1990 London poll tax riot
policyGoal to broaden the local tax base beyond property owners
to increase local government accountability to taxpayers
politicalImpact contributed to the downfall of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister
reasonForAbolition large-scale protests and riots
mass non-payment campaign
widespread public opposition
replaced domestic rates
replacedTax domestic rates based on property values
revenueUse funding local government services
subjectOf civil disobedience campaigns
widespread media criticism
successorTax Council Tax based on property bands
taxBase individual adult residents
taxType flat-rate per-person local tax
wasReplacedBy Council Tax

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Poll Tax Riots hasCause Community Charge
poll tax (Community Charge) officialName Community Charge
Poll Tax Riots opposes Community Charge
Council Tax replaced Community Charge