Oddest taxes in British history The infamous window tax, apocryphally the origin of the term "daylight robbery," was introduced by William III in 1696 in England. It was banded, with a flat rate charge of two shillings per house rising to 8 shillings for those with the most windows. It lasted 156 years, during which time the levy-free window allowance fell from 10 to six, then up again to eight. It was repealed in 1851 after campaigners branded it a "tax on health" and "tax on light and air." Many homes from this period still bear the legacy of this tax - bricked up windows.Picture: The Fan Museum, Greenwich