A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). Such taxes were important sources of revenue for many countries into the 19th century, but this is no longer the case. There are several famous cases of poll taxes in history, notably a tax formerly required for voting in parts of the United States that was often designed to disenfranchise African Americans, Native Americans, and whites of non-British descent, as well as two taxes levied by John of Gaunt and Margaret Thatcher in the fourteenth and twentieth centuries respectively. A tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (for example, tribes, secessionist movements or revolutionary movements). ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning vote) is the civil right to vote, or the exercise of that right. ... Disenfranchising refers to the removal of the ability to vote from a person or group of people. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Native Americans, the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ...

The word poll is an English word that once meant "head", hence the name poll tax for a per-person tax. However, in the United States, the term has come to be used almost exclusively for a fixed tax applied to voting. Since "going to the polls" is a common idiom for voting (deriving, of course, from the fact that early voting involved head-counts), a new folk etymology has supplanted common knowledge of the phrase's true origins in America. Folk etymology or popular etymology is a linguistic term for a category of false etymology which has grown up in popular lore, as opposed to one which arose in scholarly usage. ...

United States

A poll tax in the sense of capitation plays a significant role in the history of taxation in the United States and the adoption of income tax as a significant source of government funding. However, the second meaning of poll tax, namely a tax on voting, is more widely known in the US today. Recent debate surrounds whether citizen purchase of sometimes costly state ID acts as a poll tax, keeping poor voters out of elections.^{[citation needed]} Taxation in the United States is a complex system which may involve payment to at least four different levels of government. ... An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income of persons, corporations, or other legal entities. ...

Capitation and Federal Taxation

Main article: Taxation in the United States

The capitation clause of Article I of the United States Constitution, reads "[n]o capitation, or other direct, tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken." Capitation here means a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per taxpayer.^[1] Direct tax means a tax levied directly by the United States federal government on taxpayers, as opposed to a tax on events or transactions.^[2] Taxation in the United States is a complex system which may involve payment to at least four different levels of government. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Article One of the United States Constitution Article One of the United States Constitution states the establishment of the legislative branch of the United States government, known as Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Constitution of the United States of America Page one of the original copy of the Constitution. ... A direct tax a tax that is collected directly by government from the persons (legal or natural) on which it is levied. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The government of the United States of America, established by the U.S. Constitution, is...

The United States government levied direct taxes from time to time during the 18th and early 19th centuries. It levied direct taxes on the owners of houses, land, slaves, and estates in the late 1790s, but cancelled the taxes in 1802. --69. ...

An income tax is neither a poll tax nor a capitation, as the amount of tax will vary from person to person depending on each person's income. Until a United States Supreme Court decision in 1895, all income taxes were deemed to be excises (indirect taxes). The Revenue Act of 1861 established the first income tax in the United States, to pay for the cost of the American Civil War. This income tax was abolished after the war, in 1872. Another income tax statute in 1894 was overturned by the Supreme Court ruling in the Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. case in 1895. In Pollock the Court held that income taxes on income from property, such as rent income, interest income, and dividend income (but not income taxes on income from wages, employment, etc.) were to be treated as direct taxes. Because the statute in question had not apportioned income taxes on income from property by population, the statute was ruled unconstitutional. Finally, ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913 made possible modern income taxes, by removing the requirement of apportionment with respect to income taxes. The Revenue Act of 1861 proposed that there shall be levied, collected, and paid, upon annual income of every person residing in the U.S. whether derived from any kind of property, or from any professional trade, employment, or vocation carried on in the United States or elsewhere, or from... An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income of persons, corporations, or other legal entities. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Holding --- Court membership Case opinions Laws applied --- Pollock v. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Ratification includes the process of adopting an international treaty by the legislature, a constitution, or another nationally binding document (such as an amendment to a constitution) by the agreement of multiple sub-national entities. ... Amendment XVI in the National Archives Amendment XVI (the Sixteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, authorizing income taxes in their present form, was ratified on February 3, 1913. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

The United States government does not levy capitation taxes today.^[2]

Tax on Voting

A poll tax, on the sense of a discriminatory tax which was a pre-condition of the exercise of the right to vote, emerged in some US states between the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. After the right to vote was extended to all races by the enactment of the 15th Amendment, many Southern states enacted poll tax laws which often included a grandfather clause that allowed any adult male whose father or grandfather had voted in a specific year prior to the abolition of slavery to vote without paying the tax. These laws achieved the desired effect of disenfranchising African and Native Americans, as well as poor whites who immigrated after the year specified. Amendment XV in the National Archives 1870 celebration of the 15th amendment as a guarantee of African American rights 1867 drawing depicting the first vote by African Americans Amendment XV (the Fifteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution provides that governments in the United States may not prevent a citizen... In American English, a Grandfather clause is an exception that allows an old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations, when a new rule will apply to all future situations. ...

The United States government did not levy any poll taxes that blocked access to voting rights. Partly this is because the national government earned its revenues from income tax and excise taxes rather than from capitation, which required apportionment among the states.^[2] Also, this is because the national government didn't conduct elections for its offices, instead delegating conduct of elections to the states.

The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, outlawed the use of this tax (or any other tax) as a pre-condition in voting in Federal elections. The 1966 Supreme Court case Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections extended this explicit enactment as a matter of judicial interpretation of a more general provision, ruling that the imposition of a poll tax in state elections violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This is one of several rulings that rely on the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment rather than the more direct provision of the 15th. Amendment XXIV in the National Archives Amendment XXIV (the Twenty-fourth Amendment) of the United States Constitution prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... In Harper v. ... The words inscribed above the entrance to the U.S. Supreme Court are: Equal justice under law The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that no state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. ... Amendment XIV in the National Archives The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (Amendment XIV) is one of the post-Civil War amendments, intended to secure rights for former slaves. ... The words inscribed above the entrance to the U.S. Supreme Court are: Equal justice under law The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that no state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. ...

United Kingdom

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. Personal property is a type of property. ... // April 22 - The first of the Statutes of Westminster are passed by the English parliament, establishing a series of laws in its 51 clauses, including equal treatment of rich and poor, free and fair elections, and definition of bailable and non-bailable offenses. ...

People were taxed a percentage of the assessed value of their movable goods. That percentage varied from year to year and place to place, and which goods could be taxed differed between urban and rural locations. The percent sign. ... Look up urban in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52...

Churchmen were exempt, as were the poor, workers in the Royal Mint, inhabitants of the Cinque Ports, tin workers in Cornwall and Devon, and those who lived in the Palatinate counties of Cheshire and Durham. The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. ... Flag of the Cinque Ports Formally, in Kent and Sussex there are five Head Ports making up the Confederation of the Cinque Ports, often pronounced as the anglicised sink ports, and meaning five ports (cinque in French means five and ports is to be connected to the Italian word porto... General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Standard atomic weight 118. ... Cornwall (Cornish: ) is a county in South West England, United Kingdom, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar and Devon. ... “Devonshire” redirects here. ... A County palatine is an area ruled by an count palatine (or earl palatine); with special authority and autonomy from the rest of the kingdom. ... The Cheshire Plain - photo taken adjacent to Beeston Castle The Cheshire Plain - photo taken towards Merseyside The Cheshire Plain panorama - photo taken from Mid-Cheshire Ridge Cattle farming in the county Black-and-white timbered buildings on Nantwich High Street Cheshire (or, archaically, the County of Chester)[1] is a... Durham (IPA: locally, in RP) is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham in North East England. ...

The 14th Century

John of Gaunt, the regent of Richard II of England, levied his poll tax in 1377 to finance the war against France. These poll tax payments covered almost 60% of the population, which is far more than the lay subsidies that came before it. John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... Richard II (January 6, 1367 – February 14, 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan The Fair Maid of Kent. He was born in Bordeaux and became his fathers successor when his elder brother died in infancy. ... // Events January 17 – Pope Gregory XI enters Rome. ...

It was levied three times, in 1377, 1379 and 1381. Each time the basis was slightly different. In 1377, everyone over the age of 14 and not exempt had to pay a groat (2p) to the Crown. By 1379 that had been graded by social class, with the lower limit raised to 16, (and 15 two years later). See also groats. ...

The levy in 1381 as perceived was particularly unpopular, as each person aged over 15 was required to pay the amount of one shilling, which was a large amount then. This provoked the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, due in part to attempts to restore feudal conditions in rural areas. Before decimalisation in 1971, a shilling had a value of 12d (old pence), and was equal to 1/20th of a pound: there were 240 (old) pence to the pound. ... See Peasants War for the German Peasants Revolt of 1524-1526 See also: 1907 Romanian Peasants Revolt The Peasants Revolt or Great Rising was a popular revolt in late medieval Europe in 1381 and is a major event in the history of England. ... Events June 12 - Peasants Revolt: In England rebels arrive at Blackheath. ...

The 20th Century: Community Charge

The abolition of the rating system of taxes (based on the notional rental value of a house) to fund local government had been in the manifesto of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party in the 1979 general election. A Green Paper, Alternatives to Domestic Rates, issued in 1981, considered a flat-rate poll tax as a supplement to another tax, noting that a large flat-rate poll tax would be seen as unfair. Rates are a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, such as New Zealand, historically used to fund local government. ... There is no single system of local government in the United Kingdom. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Margaret Thatcher James Callaghan David Steel BBC Election 1979 Titles The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on May 3, 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... In Britain, the Republic of Ireland and other similar jurisdictions (e. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The 1980s saw a period of general confrontation between central government and Labour-controlled local authorities, that eventually led to the abolition of the Greater London Council and the six metropolitan county councils. The commitment to abolish the rates was replaced in the 1983 general election manifesto with a commitment to introduce the ability for central government to cap rates which it saw as excessive. This was introduced by the Rates Act 1984. However, Mrs Thatcher's government thought spending was still generally excessive and that poor voters would be deterred from voting in high spending councils if they had to pay a greater share of the tax. The 1980s refers to the years of and between 1980 and 1989. ... Arms of the Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. ... The six metropolitan counties shown within England The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level subnational entity in current use in England. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... The Rates Act 1984 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, which controls the tax-raising powers of local authorities. ...

Although the ratings system was supposed to have regular revaluations in order to minimise discrepancies, the revaluations in England and Wales had been cancelled in 1978 and 1983. The Scottish revaluation of 1985/1986 led to a great deal of criticism, and gave added urgency to rates reform or replacement. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Green Paper of 1986, Paying for Local Government, produced by the Department of the Environment from consulations between Rothschild, William Waldegrave and Kenneth Baker, proposed the Community Charge. This was a fixed tax per adult resident, hence a poll tax, although there was a reduction for poor people. This charged each person for the services provided in their community. Due to the amount of local taxes paid by businesses varying, and the amount of grant provided by central government to individual local authorities sometimes varying capriciously, there were dramatic differences in the amount charged between boroughs. 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... William Arthur Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill, PC (born August 15, 1946), educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford and now a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford is a British Conservative politician who served in the Cabinet from 1990 until 1997. ... Kenneth Baker Kenneth Wilfrid Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking, CH, PC, (born November 3, 1934), is a British politician, and former Conservative MP. Son of a civil servant, he was educated at Hampton Grammar school between 1946 and 1948 and thereafter at St Pauls School, London and Magdalen College...

This proposal was contained in the Conservative Manifesto for the 1987 General Election. The legislation introducing the Community Charge was passed in 1988 and the new tax replaced the rates in Scotland from the start of the 1989/90 financial year and in England and Wales from the start of the 1990/91 financial year. Additionally the uniform business rate, levied by local government at a rate set by central government and then apportioned between local authorities in proportion to their population, was introduced. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. ... Margaret Thatcher David Steel Election 1987 Titles The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987 and was the third consecutive victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... This article is about the country. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ...

The tax was not implemented in Northern Ireland, which continued, as it still does, to levy the rating system, despite some unionists calling for the province to have the same taxation system as the rest of the United Kingdom. That the tax was introduced in Scotland a year before England and Wales is often described as causing the death of the Tories in Scotland, and cementing their image as an English party. However, in 1992 the Tory vote increased in Scotland compared to 1987 (before the introduction of the poll tax), and it was not until 1997 that they were wiped out completely. Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official languages English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, BSL, NISL, ISL Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Ian Paisley  - Deputy First Minister...

Protesters complained that the tax shifted from the estimated price of a house to the number of people living in it, with the perceived effect of shifting the tax burden from the rich to the poor. It did not help that Mrs Thatcher, close to the end of her period in office and losing popularity, chose to champion the Community Charge herself and apparently chose to be both ruthless in imposing it and adamant that there would be no "U-turns" (reversals in policy).

Additional problems emerged when many of the tax rates set by local councils proved to be much higher than many earlier predictions. Some have argued that local councils saw the introduction of the new system of taxation as the opportunity to make significant increases in the amount taken, assuming (correctly) that it would be the originators of the new tax system and not its local operators who would be blamed.

This tax was in effect a voluntary tax; owner-occupiers paid because they couldn't hide, and it was less for them than rates, renters didn't pay because they knew they would be long gone when the bills arrived. Councils of towns with highly mobile populations, e.g. university towns, were faced with big store rooms of un-processed "gone-aways".

The initial register was wildly apocryphal. It was based on the rates register for "owned" houses with lots of other dodgy data such as housing benefit recipients. So in a university town the data was very dirty, and needed extensive cleaning and maintenance.

The big collection issue was the 20/100% split. People with jobs had to pay 100%, Students/UB40 paid 20%. However if someone in the household had a job all of the household was liable for 100%. The nature of the shared house market means that not even the landlord knows exactly who was living there; tenants get replaced and they may share a "single" room with their partner. So the council has no idea who is living where and when, and the local population were unlikely to assist them.

Central government imposed "collection targets". Because of demographics this tended to hit the "irresponsible" Labour authorities. Cannier councils adjusted the register size to the number of people who paid, and so got whatever collection rate they wanted.

The charge was bitterly opposed and people sought to protest through mass protests called by the All-Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation to which the vast majority of local Anti Poll Tax Unions were affiliated. In Scotland, where the tax was implemented first, the APTU's called for mass non-payment. These calls rapidly gathered widespread support in Scotland and then in England and Wales, even though non-payment meant that people could be prosecuted.

As the charges began to rise, large numbers of people refused to pay the tax (up to 30% of former ratepayers in some areas according to the BBC),^[3] enforcement measures became increasingly draconian, and unrest mounted and culminated in a number of Poll Tax Riots. The most serious of these happened in London on March 31, 1990, during a protest at Trafalgar Square, London, which more than 200,000 protesters attended. The Labour MP, Terry Fields, was jailed for 60 days for refusing to pay his poll tax. The Poll Tax Riots, as they became known, were major acts of civil disobedience carried out in London. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... Trafalgar Square viewed from the northeast corner. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Terry Fields (born 8 March 1937) is a British politician and a former Labour Member of Parliament for Liverpool Broadgreen from 1983 until 1992. ...

For this among other reasons, Mrs. Thatcher was challenged by Michael Heseltine for the Tory leadership. Although she prevailed by a margin of 50 votes, her opponent had far too many votes for comfort, and on November 22, 1990 Mrs Thatcher resigned and all three contenders to succeed her pledged to abandon the tax. Michael Heseltine walks out of the cabinet meeting having resigned, January 9, 1986 Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC (born 21 March 1933) is a British Conservative politician and businessman. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ...

The successful candidate, John Major, appointed his defeated rival Michael Heseltine to the post of Environment Secretary responsible for replacing the Community Charge. In 1991 the Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont announced a raise in Value Added Tax from 15% to 17.5% to pay for a £140 reduction in the tax. By the time of the 1992 General Election, legislation had been passed replacing Community Charge with the Council Tax from the start of the 1993/94 financial year. Sir John Major, KG, CH, PC (born 29 March 1943) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the British Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British cabinet minister responsible for all financial matters. ... Norman Stewart Hughson Lamont, Baron Lamont of Lerwick, PC (born 8 May 1942) was Conservative Member of Parliament for Kingston-upon-Thames, England from 1972 until 1997. ... Value added tax (VAT) is tax on exchanges. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Council Tax is the main form of local taxation in England, Scotland and Wales. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

The Council Tax strongly resembled the rating system that the Poll Tax had replaced. The main differences were that it was levied on capital value rather than notional rental value of a property, and that a 25% discount for single occupancy dwellings was introduced. The Council Tax is the main form of local taxation in England, Scotland and Wales. ...

Canada

Main article: Head tax (Canada)

The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 stipulated that all Chinese entering Canada would be subjected to a head tax of $50. The act was mostly to discourage the lower class Chinese from entering, since Canada still welcomed the rich Chinese merchants who could afford the head tax. After the Government of Canada realized that the $50 fee did not effectively eliminate Chinese from entering Canada, the government passed the Chinese Immigration Act of 1900 and 1903, increasing the tax to $100 and $500, respectively. The Chinese head tax was a fixed fee charged for each Chinese person entering Canada. ... The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 placed a Head Tax on all Chinese immigrants coming to Canada, forcing them to pay a fifty dollar fee to enter the country. ...

On June 22, 2006, the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper delivered a message of redress for a head tax once applied to Chinese immigrants.^[4] Chinese-Canadian groups expect the government will also offer a multi-million-dollar compensation package to survivors who paid it, widows and their children. June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Prime Minister of Canada (French: Premier ministre du Canada), is the Minister of the Crown who is head of the Government of Canada. ... Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ...

New Zealand

Main article: New Zealand head tax

New Zealand imposed a poll tax on Chinese immigrants during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The poll tax was effectively lifted in the 1930s following the invasion of China by Japan, and was finally repealed in 1944. Prime Minister Helen Clark offered New Zealand's Chinese community an official apology for the poll tax on 12 February 2002.^[5] This poll tax certificate was issued to Yee Nam on his arrival at Wellington in 1904. ... For other persons named Helen Clark, see Helen Clark (disambiguation). ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

See also

• Disfranchisement after the Civil War

The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1870 in response to the American Civil War, prevented any state from denying the right to vote to any male citizen twenty-one years old or older on account of his race. ...

References

1. ^ United States Department of State (2004). The Constitution of the United States of America with Explanatory Notes. US Department of State web site. United States. Retrieved on 2005 May 6.
2. ^ ^{a b c} United States Department of the Treasury. History of the U.S. Tax System. US Treasury Department : Education : Fact Sheets : Taxes. United States. Retrieved on 2005 May 6.
3. ^ BBC News, 'On This Day', 1990 - poll tax non-payment
4. ^ Canada (2006). Address by the Prime Minister on the Chinese Head Tax Redress. Government of Canada. Retrieved on 2006 August 8.
5. ^ New Zealand Office of Ethnic Affairs (2002). Chinese Poll Tax in New Zealand - Formal Apology. New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved on 2006 August 18.

The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... The U.S. Treasury building today. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Middle Ages Poll Tax.
• Pictures by Paul Ross who witnessed the riot.
• The Battle that brought down Thatcher - a perspective by the Trotskyist Militant Tendency.