Poll tax

The poll tax, also known as the community charge, was a failed attempt at a true level tax, introduced by Margaret Thatcher in Scotland in 1988 and in England and Wales in 1990. The thinking behind it was that instead of traditional taxation systems based on income, the total tax requirement would be divided by the population, thus ensuring that everyone paid the same amount. While popular with those who had previously been paying high levels of taxation, it proved unpopular with the poor, many of whom were left with tax bills of more than their entire income. Disquiet with the poll tax, culminating in a month of insurrection and rioting in London[1], forced Thatcher from office in November 1990.