Inland Revenue

In the UK, the Inland Revenue is a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation such as Income Tax, National Insurance, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritence Tax, Petroleum Revenue Tax , Corporation Tax and Stamp Duty. More recently, the Inland Revenue have also administered tax credits, schemes whereby monies are paid by the Government into a recipient's bank account as part of their wage, such as Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. The Inland Revenue is also responsible for the payment of Child Benefit.

Tax collectors have been around for a long time, but the beginnings of the Inland Revenue date from 1665 when a Board of Taxes was set up following the introduction of special taxes to pay for the Dutch War. A central organisation to supervise the collection of the special taxes was required.

Tax administered by the Board of Taxes included was the Land Tax, first levied in 1692, together with an assortment of other assessed taxes, including taxes on houses, windows and dogs. Income Tax was introduced in various forms in 1797, 1799, 1803 until 1816 and then in reintroduced in 1842 and is formally renewed annually in the Finance Act.

A separate Board of Stamps was created by the Stamps Act 1694. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, stamp duties were extended to cover newspapers, pamphlets, lottery tickets, apprentices' indentures, advertisements, playing cards, dice, hats, gloves, patent medicines, perfumes, insurance policies, gold and silver plate, hair powder and armorial bearings.

In June 1833, a single body of Commissioners was set up to merge the revenues of stamps and taxes. The Board of Taxes and the Board of Stamps were formally combined under the Land Tax Act 1834.

The Board of Inland Revenue was created under the Inland Revenue Board Act 1849, after the Board of Excise and Board of Stamps and Taxes were amalgamated. Responsibility for excise taxes were transferred to the Board of Customs and Excise in 1909.

There are proposals in 2004 to merge HM Customs and Excise with the Board of Inland Revenue.

Inland Revenue Records of the Boards of Stamps, Taxes, Excise, Stamps and Taxes, and Inland Revenue History of tax