150th anniversary of the repeal of the wig powder tax

[editor]

This is fascinating stuff!

The first tax on hair powder was a stamp duty applied in 1786 and applied to packets of hair powder for wigs and on perfumes and cosmetics. The tax was set at 1d on packets costing up to 8d, rising to 1s on items over 5s.

Over the next few years a range of taxes were introduced, such as carriages (1776), servants (1777), houses (1778), windows (1778), horses (1784), hounds (1796), watches (1797), and coats of arms (1798).

One of the oddest though was introduced in 1795, and that was the need for a license to buy wig powder.

In 1795, desperate to raise more money to fund the war with France, the government essentially doubled the tax on wig powder by adding an annual license fee that anyone using wig powder had to buy. That was on top of the stamp duty paid each time someone bought some wig powder.

The license was also a public declaration, and lists of those who paid the wig powder tax was logged with the local court and copies were often displayed in local parishes.

150th anniversary of the repeal of the wig powder tax

 

[8ball]

Was that a good or bad thing to be a publicly declared buyer of wig powder, I wonder...

 

[JimW]

Seem to recall types like Daniel Defoe wore their hair loose and natural partly to avoid paying this tax to Old Corruption.

 

[8ball]

Seem to recall types like Daniel Defoe wore their hair loose and natural partly to avoid paying this tax to Old Corruption.

I thought Old Corruption involved bribes and similar rather than taxes.

 

[JimW]

I thought Old Corruption involved bribes and similar rather than taxes.

Well it started out referring to dishing out sinecures and the like but came to refer to the government by extension.

 

[8ball]

Well it started out referring to dishing out sinecures and the like but came to refer to the government by extension.

Ah, right. The 'sinecures and bribes' version was the meaning as I understood, though I can see how the meaning would creep when its pervasive enough.

 

[Cid]

Seem to recall types like Daniel Defoe wore their hair loose and natural partly to avoid paying this tax to Old Corruption.

Yep, I think this period is right at the end of wig use. At least as fashion.

 

[8ball]

Yep, I think this period is right at the end of wig use. At least as fashion.

It must be due a resurgence about now.