How much was tax in the middle ages?

Answer 1

Taxes varied from place to place and from time to time. Some were really brutal, others were nearly nonexistent.

In England, there were several taxes that were intended for special purposes, and we can look at these for examples.

One tax was the Danegeld, which was used to pay off Vikings who ruled the North so they would not invade the South. It lasted nearly 100 years, though I do not know how often it was collected.

Another was Peter's Pence, which was an annual tax levied on the people of England by the king on behalf of the Pope; needles to say this tax did not endear the popes to the English people.

Peter's Pence was in addition to a standard tithe, which was levied by the Church.

Another tax was the Poll tax, which was first levied in 1275; it was very uneven in its application, leading to big differences in the burdens people of different communities bore, and it was one of the causes of the Peasants' Rebellion.

There were taxes on hearths, which were paid by anyone who had more than one, because such a person was thought to be rich.

In addition to the above, a peasant had to pay rent, which could be seen as a type of tax. Early on, this was in labor or a part of the crop, and at that time, a peasant might have had nearly no money pass through his hands at all. Later, peasants paid rent in money, and the taxes above would have been additional.