What was the poll tax 1990?
Then, what were the poll tax riots about in 1990?
Poll tax riots. The poll tax riots were a series of riots in British towns and cities during protests against the Community Charge (colloquially known as the "poll tax"), introduced by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Herein, what was the poll tax meant to do?
The poll tax was essentially a lay subsidy, a tax on the movable property of most of the population, to help fund war. It had first been levied in 1275 and continued under different names until the 17th century. People were taxed a percentage of the assessed value of their movable goods.
After taking over from Mrs Thatcher, John Major immediately announced the poll tax would be replaced by the council tax, which like rates set taxation levels based on property value. Unlike the community charge, the council tax took ability to pay into account although it was not directly linked to income.