Now as then, in theory, consumers are supposed to keep receipts and pay so-called "use taxes", but few people have even heard of the term.

And it makes little sense for free-traders to use taxes to buy off people from voting for protectionism, when doing so would in any case be against their interests.

All the Parliamentary construction and art purchasing I mentioned was costing a lot of money and although the tally sticks were no longer in use taxes certainly were.