Geld

One important tax was the geld, a tax on land. Its earlier form, Danegeld, had been used to pay off Viking invaders. An organised system of collecting taxes meant the king could draw wealth from across the country, rather than relying only on his own estates.

One important source was geld, a tax assessed on land. William inherited this tax from Anglo-Saxon government. Exemptions and avoidance could reduce the amount collected, so investigating land assessments offered a way to improve collection.