What were the taxes during the French Revolution?
Lily Fisher
Updated on April 19, 2026
taille, the most important direct tax of the pre-Revolutionary monarchy in France. Its unequal distribution, with clergy and nobles exempt, made it one of the hated institutions of the
ancien régime
ancien régime, (French: “old order”) Political and social system of France prior to the French Revolution. Under the regime, everyone was a subject of the king of France as well as a member of an estate and province.
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What was taxed in the French Revolution?
The French were subject to a range of direct taxes (payable to the royal government) and indirect taxes (payable on items like salt, wine and tobacco) as well as feudal payments.What were the 3 types of taxes in France?
There are three main types of personal taxes in France:
- French income tax (impôt sur le revenu)
- Social security contributions (charges sociales/cotisations sociales)
- Tax on goods and services (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée TVA, or VAT, in France)