 Just before Edward 's death , Parliament introduced a new form of taxation called the poll tax , which was levied at the rate of four pence on every person over the age of 14 , with a deduction for married couples . Designed to spread the cost of the war over a broader economic base than previous tax levies , this round of taxation proved extremely unpopular but raised £ 22 @,@ 000 . The war continued to go badly and , despite raising some money through forced loans , the Crown returned to Parliament in 1379 to request further funds . The Commons were supportive of the young King , but had concerns about the amounts of money being sought and the way this was being spent by the King 's counsellors , whom they suspected of corruption . A second poll tax was approved , this time with a sliding scale of taxes against seven different classes of English society , with the upper classes paying more in absolute terms . Widespread evasion proved to be a problem , and the tax only raised £ 18 @,@ 600 — far short of the £ 50 @,@ 000 that had been hoped for . 
