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Tax system in Westeros


Scythian

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It is interesting how taxes are gathered in Seven Kingdoms. In books I saw no evidence of tax officials in the service of the Crown, though it must be very important job. Are Great Houses pay their duties by themselves? I think they pay annual (or maybe bi- ot three-annual) fixed sums. Moreover, it seems like that northern and central regions don't pay taxes during the winters, and all of the winter taxation is delivered by the Reach, Dorne and Stormlands.
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[quote name='Scythian' post='1694965' date='Feb 21 2009, 11.29']It is interesting how taxes are gathered in Seven Kingdoms. In books I saw no evidence of tax officials in the service of the Crown, though it must be very important job. Are Great Houses pay their duties by themselves? I think they pay annual (or maybe bi- ot three-annual) fixed sums. Moreover, it seems like that northern and central regions don't pay taxes during the winters, and all of the winter taxation is delivered by the Reach, Dorne and Stormlands.[/quote]

Don't forget the Dwarf's Penny!
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I don't expect we will touch on this in the world book. That said, there is indeed a tax collection structure referenced in the series. In ACoK, for example:

[quote]Ten years ago, Jon Arryn had given him a minor sinecure in customs, where Lord Petyr had soon distinguished himself by bringing in three times as much as any of the king's other collectors.[/quote]

And

[quote]Harbormasters, tax farmers, customs sergeants, wool factors, toll collectors, pursers, wine factors; nine of every ten belonged to Littlefinger[/quote]

There's also the fact that the customs officers in White Harbor were caught holding back coin for King's Landing rather than handing it over to the King of the North, and Manderly had them replaced.

Tax farmers were people who paid a lump sum to collect a certain tax, with the idea being that the crown gets the money immediately while the tax farmer can try and ferret out every coin that the tax allows him to get in hopes of making a profit. Very medieval. :)
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I think there was a mention at one point of the Gold Cloaks gathering from the shopowners of King's Landing.

One part of the answer is probably real-life tradition of collecting various daily taxes at the city gates, from arriving travelers/people like fishermen who go outside the city to work/etc.
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Well, it's quite clear how taxes are gathered locally. More interesting how they are transferred from different parts of realm to the centre and how frequently local lords pay their financial duties to the crown.

Also I wonder if there are inner customs in different parts of the kingdom like there was in medieval France
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[quote name='Scythian' post='1695164' date='Feb 21 2009, 21.37']Also I wonder if there are inner customs in different parts of the kingdom like there was in medieval France[/quote]

I'd guess yes since there was seven different kingdoms before the Targaryen conquest. But it'd be only a concern for local taxes not for the crown's taxes. And I'd guess that outside Dragonstone and the Crown's lands, only custom taxes are collected directly by the crown. But since each lords must pay taxes to its overlord, and the king is the ultimate overlord, some of it ends in the crown treasure.
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[quote name='The WaterDancer Knight' post='1698875' date='Feb 24 2009, 22.27']I'd guess yes since there was seven different kingdoms before the Targaryen conquest. But it'd be only a concern for local taxes not for the crown's taxes. And I'd guess that outside Dragonstone and the Crown's lands, only custom taxes are collected directly by the crown. But since each lords must pay taxes to its overlord, and the king is the ultimate overlord, some of it ends in the crown treasure.[/quote]

With out having a basis for this I've always assumed it was simalar to their chains of command.
That way the crows only collecting from 8 people (Ned, Stannis, Balon, Tywin, Mace, Renly, Doran, Hoster and Jon) plus the local taxs that we already have info on. While those 8 collect from their bannermen and their locals then the bannermen collect from the lessor lords and their locals and so on. That way in the end all the proper lords get a cut of their subjects incomes.
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  • 1 year later...

:commie:

The People's Democratic Republic of Westeros needs not such an archaic tax system as this. All means of production belong to the people, under the guidance and supervision of the People's Political Committee (PPC). Therefore alll of the produce also belongs to the people and are used for the welfare of all the people.

To deny the revolution is counter-revolutionary and reactionary. Death to the reactionaries!

:commie:

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  • 1 month later...

:commie:

The People's Democratic Republic of Westeros needs not such an archaic tax system as this. All means of production belong to the people, under the guidance and supervision of the People's Political Committee (PPC). Therefore alll of the produce also belongs to the people and are used for the welfare of all the people.

To deny the revolution is counter-revolutionary and reactionary. Death to the reactionaries!

:commie:

We need a good purge. All revenues from this will be directed towards re-equipping the secret police to more thoroughly carry out the social revolution against the nobility, particularly the hated Lannisters.

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We need a good purge. All revenues from this will be directed towards re-equipping the secret police to more thoroughly carry out the social revolution against the nobility, particularly the hated Lannisters.

You are showing good revolutionary spirit. Proceed with purging the nobility. Send them to the Wall. Oh, and don't forget to give the People's Committee their cut of the take. Comrade

:commie:

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