Britain Nears 90 Taxes, Matching 1834 Complexity After 3-Decade Doubling

1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 1

Britain is set to have nearly 90 taxes, according to Tax Policy Associates research, putting the system back at its highest level of complexity since the 1830s.
Three decades of additions doubled the number of levies, reviving concerns that the tax code has become harder for households, businesses and policymakers to navigate.
The comparison point is 1834, when Britain had 90 taxes while still dealing with Napoleonic War debt and the early industrial revolution reshaped the economy.
Many of those Georgian-era duties — including taxes on servants and stage coaches — have vanished, but the overall count is now returning to that historic peak.

Is Britain's tax system, with its 90 taxes and endless loopholes, now too complex to fix?

With UK taxes hitting a post-war high, why are public services facing a decline?