Economic Distress On France s Regressive Taxation System

Furthermore, economic distress was furthered upon France’s regressive taxation system where evidence suggests it caused the Third Estate to be deprived of food and drove many to the brink of starvation which in turn led to social unrest. One possible interpretation of the taxation system in place is that of Jacques Necker who condemned it as â€Å"a real monstrosity in the eyes of reason†. Necker’s criticisms of the taxation system can be seen by the proportion of tax levied on the Third Estate who had to pay a tenth of their income to the state and a 5% property tax called the vingtià ¨me which was a tax on the number of people in the family. The long term implications of these taxes were brutal to the Third Estate as agricultural yields were declining yet taxes were growing steadily higher. This is arguably something King Louis XVI has to take responsibility for as he aggravated the situation with his excessive spending with total disregard of France’s fiscal problems as he ordered to build Versailles with gold decorations; this unnecessary spending furthered the debt, equally Marie Antoinette’s unwarranted spending led to anger among the Third Estate. Whilst it can certainly be argued the excessive spending of the monarch was not a direct cause of the economic problems thus blame cannot be entirely placed on Louis XVI as those before him, Louis XIV and Louis XV also spent excessive amounts, as they were accustomed to this style of living. Nevertheless the combination of otherShow MoreRelatedThe War Of France And Louis Xiv1959 Words   |  8 Pages The wars in France were one of the main causes to which economic distress arose. France did not just simply acquire a substantial debt suddenly which led to economic distress but gradually over time the financial situation in France worsened due to events such as the Seven Years’ War 1756–1763, American Revolution 1775–1783 and The Nine Years’ War (1688-1697) which would lead to long term negative financial implications for France. Louis XIV had extended France’s power into Central Europe and North