the community charge
noun /ðə kəˈmjuːnəti tʃɑːdʒ/
/ðə kəˈmjuːnəti tʃɑːrdʒ/
(also also informal the poll tax)
[singular]- (in Britain) a local tax introduced by the conservative government in 1990 to replace the rates. It was very unpopular because poor people had to pay the same as rich people. There were serious protests, and many people refused to pay the tax. It was replaced in 1993 by the council tax.