Hearth Tax Act 1662

E548709

The Hearth Tax Act 1662 was a Restoration-era English law that imposed a controversial tax based on the number of hearths or fireplaces in a dwelling, becoming a significant and unpopular source of royal revenue.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Hearth Tax Act 1662 canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of Parliament of England ⓘ
tax law ⓘ
appliesTo England ⓘ
Wales ⓘ
collectionMethod door-to-door inspection of hearths ⓘ
use of tax collectors and sub-farmers ⓘ
controversy association with arbitrary royal power ⓘ
burden on poorer householders ⓘ
required entry into private homes to count hearths ⓘ
country Kingdom of England ⓘ
dateEnacted 1662-05-19 ⓘ
documentedIn Statutes of the Realm ⓘ
effect contributed to distrust of Stuart monarchy ⓘ
encouraged concealment or blocking of hearths ⓘ
generated a regular stream of royal revenue ⓘ
provoked widespread popular resentment ⓘ
enactedInPeriod English Restoration ⓘ
linked to: Stuart period
enactedUnderMonarch Charles II of England ⓘ
exemptionCategory certain charitable institutions ⓘ
industrial hearths in some cases ⓘ
the poorest householders ⓘ
field economic history of England ⓘ
legal history ⓘ
governingBody Parliament of England ⓘ
inspiredBy earlier continental hearth taxes ⓘ
languageOfDocument English ⓘ
legacy example of early modern fiscal intrusion into private households ⓘ
important source for historical demographic and housing studies ⓘ
legalForm statute ⓘ
motivatedBy need to provide Charles II with stable income independent of Parliament ⓘ
nickName chimney money ⓘ
perceivedAs intrusive ⓘ
regressive ⓘ
unpopular ⓘ
politicalContext Restoration settlement of royal finances ⓘ
purpose to raise regular revenue for the Crown ⓘ
relatedTo Restoration of Charles II ⓘ
post–English Civil War fiscal reforms ⓘ
repealContext aftermath of the Glorious Revolution ⓘ
repealed yes ⓘ
repealedBy William III and Mary II government ⓘ
linked to: Stuart government
repealYear 1689 ⓘ
revenueRecipient English Crown ⓘ
linked to: Kingdom of England
shortDescription Restoration-era English statute imposing a tax on hearths and fireplaces ⓘ
taxBase number of fireplaces in a dwelling ⓘ
number of hearths in a dwelling ⓘ
taxType direct tax ⓘ
household tax ⓘ
yearEnacted 1662 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

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

Cavalier Parliament → enacts → Hearth Tax Act 1662 ⓘ