Yup, it cost more to have windows so people starting bricking them up to save money.
And that’s how I was pulled out from under the hooves of the Emperor’s cavalry.
The mother fucking government can always find cunning ways to extract cash from us.
This is the UK, they’d tax your farts if they could lol
I can’t remember if hen it was but they figured the more windows you have the bigger the house so you must have more money so people bricked up windows to reduce the tax
It was a way of determining tax in the 1700’s, the basic idea being the more windows the higher the wealth and subsequent tax. As a result home owners began bricking up windows to lower their tax burden.
For anyone who is lost:
The window tax was a property tax introduced in England in 1696 and was based on the number of windows in a house. The idea was that wealthier people, who owned larger homes with more windows, would pay more, while those with smaller homes would pay less. The tax led to some unintended consequences, as many homeowners started bricking up their windows to reduce the amount they owed. This is why, in some older buildings, you might still see windows that appear to have been filled in. The window tax remained in place for over 150 years, eventually being repealed in 1851 due to its unpopularity and its impact on architecture and living conditions.
That house doesn’t look old enough to be subject to window tax
Don’t forget the “Beard Tax”
Who would make up such a ridiculous law? Some greedy politicians maybe?
If you find someone enthusiastic about little quirks of history you don’t tell them to stop
Almost as stupid as bedroom tax. I wonder if you bricked up the door to a bedroom then it wouldnt count.
You sir, are a gentleman. That’s how you pass on knowledge.
Must be a very old house as the window tax was repelled in 1851
18 comments
Yup, it cost more to have windows so people starting bricking them up to save money.
And that’s how I was pulled out from under the hooves of the Emperor’s cavalry.
The mother fucking government can always find cunning ways to extract cash from us.
This is the UK, they’d tax your farts if they could lol
I can’t remember if hen it was but they figured the more windows you have the bigger the house so you must have more money so people bricked up windows to reduce the tax
It was a way of determining tax in the 1700’s, the basic idea being the more windows the higher the wealth and subsequent tax. As a result home owners began bricking up windows to lower their tax burden.
For anyone who is lost:
The window tax was a property tax introduced in England in 1696 and was based on the number of windows in a house. The idea was that wealthier people, who owned larger homes with more windows, would pay more, while those with smaller homes would pay less. The tax led to some unintended consequences, as many homeowners started bricking up their windows to reduce the amount they owed. This is why, in some older buildings, you might still see windows that appear to have been filled in. The window tax remained in place for over 150 years, eventually being repealed in 1851 due to its unpopularity and its impact on architecture and living conditions.
That house doesn’t look old enough to be subject to window tax
Don’t forget the “Beard Tax”
Who would make up such a ridiculous law? Some greedy politicians maybe?
If you find someone enthusiastic about little quirks of history you don’t tell them to stop
Almost as stupid as bedroom tax. I wonder if you bricked up the door to a bedroom then it wouldnt count.
You sir, are a gentleman. That’s how you pass on knowledge.
Must be a very old house as the window tax was repelled in 1851
Window tax sounds like daylight robbery
https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/towncountry/towns/tyne-and-wear-case-study/about-the-group/housing/window-tax/#:~:text=This%20tax%20was%20first%20imposed,exempt%20from%20the%20window%20tax.
Daylight robbery
It’s not always the case. Sometimes buildings have what appear to be bricked up windows, but it’s to create a sense of symmetry from the outside
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