They were used to agree the raising of taxes which, in the 13th century, were single, one-off levies, typically on movable property, intended to support the King's normal revenues for particular projects.
The President didn't specify precisely where the new revenue would come from, or how much it would be, but in briefings his aides suggested that the primary source would be a modest one-off levy on the roughly one and a half trillion dollars in untaxed earnings that American corporations are holding overseas.
The chancellor's decision to put off for a year the next stage of planned income-tax cuts, due to take effect on January 1st, and to impose a one-off levy on corporate profits to raise funds for the flood victims, may be economically questionable, but it looked better than Mr Stoiber's panicky zig-zag.
Subsequent owners would pay the tax but save on the initial purchase price, making the tax a bit like a one-off levy on current owners.
The French president is introducing a one-off levy on those earning more than £1m and upping income tax on those earning more than £800,000 to 75 per cent.
In addition, on behalf of the UK tax authorities, the Swiss government will collect: A one-off levy on existing Swiss assets owned by UK residents, worth between 21% and 41% of the assets.
A one-off levy on Swiss bank accounts filled the Treasury's coffers by £900m a year ago, too.
According to the Treasury's red book, which forecasts tax revenues over the next five years, a one-off levy on Swiss assets owned by UK residents, ranging from 21%to41%1%, was due to raise £3.2bn in this tax year.
"We should be moving towards a different direction," she insisted, describing the imposition of a one-off levy on secret account holders – as agreed by Switzerland and the UK in 2011 - as being "very outdated".
The weight of money Those ungrateful Irish Reprints Related items German banks: This is tomorrow callingOct 17th 2002To raise funds for flood relief in eastern Germany, the old government had already decided to postpone income tax cuts due to start next January 1st by a year, and to impose a one-off levy on corporate profits.
Drawing loud applause from his supporters at a final rally before the Labour leadership result is announced tomorrow, the radical left-winger said he would punish banks that were bailed out by the government for their role in the financial crisis by introducing a one-off levy on excess profits.
