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Post by Pyotr Alekseevich on Feb 4, 2015 12:21:41 GMT
The following reforms are to be implemented in order to increase tax efficiency and revenue:
1 - Tax Farming is to be abolished. Collection of Taxes will be carried out by the State office for the treasury.
2 - Tax offices are to be established in all provinces.
3 - These offices will be large enough to accommodate the clerks responsible for organising tax collection in their province.
4 - All taxes collected in a province will be gathered in the Provincial tax office and transported, under heavy guard, to the Treasury in Moscow.
5 - Tax offices will be subjected to random inspections from the representatives of the Imperial treasury who will examine books and records to ensure that corruption is not allowed to flourish.
6 - Tax fraud and corruption will be punished with a minimum 10 year prison sentence.
7 - All taxes will be deposited directly to the Imperial Treasury in Moscow and then re-distributed to the provinces and government departments as is needed.
10 - 5,000 Cavalry militia will be allocated to the treasury in order to enforce Tax collection and guard the tax wagons headed to Moscow.
11 - Pyotr's former Tutor Nikita Zotov is appointed as head of the Treasury and is responsible for overseeing the collection of Taxes in Russia, as well as providing an estimate for the cost of implementing the new Tax reforms.
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Post by The Viceroy (AdminM) on Feb 4, 2015 13:31:52 GMT
Natalya tentatively consents to the reforms. But opts for caution and takes it to the Boyar Duma. A commission's report into the reforms stipulates that the cost of the project would be around 175,000 Ducats, and the projected income would be somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 Ducats per annum.
There is uproar in the house, the Miloslavsky faction was opposed to the reform for political reasons, but many neutral Lords also joined them due to the high cost and genuine opposition to clauses 4 and 7. The Naryshkin party can still force through the reforms, but it may alienate some of the previously content Boyars; they await Peter and Natalya's guidance.
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Post by Pyotr Alekseevich on Feb 4, 2015 14:08:14 GMT
A new proposal is submitted to the Boyars with the following amendments:
Clause 4 is altered to allow local taxes to be stored and used in the provinces. Imperial taxes such as poll taxes are still required to be stored in the Treasury in Moscow.
Clause 7 is scrapped and replaced with a clause dictating that all Imperial taxes are stored in Moscow. Local provinces are expected to provide for infrastructure maintenance and other local costs from their own tax revenues.
If the Boyars agree to the new proposal then Pyotr will authorise a sum of 125,000 ducats to be invested this year to cover the immediate start up costs and a further 50,000 Ducats the following year.
Pyotr instructs Zotov, whose traditional appearance and Church history makes him more acceptable to many boyars, to seek out support for the bill and see what concessions may bring some of the nobility away from the Miloslavsky's.
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Post by The Viceroy (AdminM) on Feb 4, 2015 14:41:47 GMT
The change in proposals appease most of the Boyars. Many of the Miloslavsky faction are related through family, few will abandon their grievances on account of honour and loyalty to the bloodline. Those who will are generally motivate by greed and power. Offering some of the Lords new lands or high ranking military positions, Zotov has found three nobles who seem to be open to abandoning the Miloslavsky party, each noble has their own minor following of nobles:
Yekaterina Belosselsky-Belozersky: Boyar on account of the death of her husband. From a large family, she resents her Miloslavsky blooded late husband for not bearing children with her. Still in her mid-thirties, Yekaterina may be married into the Naryshkin family.
Pavel Khilkoff: Former Russian general, seemed open to Peter's military reforms despite general opposition from the Miloslavsky party. Zotov believes a command for him, and the deputisation of his son, Feodor, would tempt him into the loyalist camps.
Pyotr Pahlen: Lower ranking as far as nobles as concerned, he feels neglected by the Miloslavsky, he seeks wealth and an increase in noble standing.
Peter does not have to approach all of these people, but he certainly can if he wishes. This will weaken the Miloslavsky faction in the Duma, but will make them more resentful.
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Post by Pyotr Alekseevich on Feb 4, 2015 14:59:30 GMT
Pyotr considers his options and decides on the following course of action:
Yekaterina Belosselsky-Belozersky is offered an arranged marriage to Kirill Alexeïevitch Narychkine. Kirill is only 16, but has shown himself to be a promising young soldier with a commission in the Imperial Lifeguards. Kirill will be eligible for marriage in the coming year and whilst Yekaterina is much older than him, she is not sufficiently high ranking to warrant a marriage to one of the more prominent Nryshkin men. She will however be able to benefit from the close friendship which exists between Pyotr and Kirill.
Pavel Khilkoff is offered command of the Army of Poland. It is hinted that he could rise to the position of Marshal in command of the Central Front if he shows adequate skill and dedication over the coming years.
Pyot Pahlen is offered a promotion to the rank of Duke and the leadership of a trade mission to the Three Kingdoms. If he is successful in securing significant trade for Russia then he will be richly rewarded.
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Post by The Viceroy (AdminM) on Feb 5, 2015 11:03:58 GMT
The three former Miloslavsky allies agree to these proposals and switch their allegiance to the Naryshkin. With them come their own small factions. Together they take a sizable chunk from the Miloslavsky support.
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Post by Pyotr Alekseevich on Feb 9, 2015 18:04:05 GMT
Pyotr withdraws his request for tax reforms as the finances are needed elsewhere.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2015 18:10:38 GMT
The memebers of the Boyar Duma and their wallets are somewhat relieved. It's been a surreal day at the Duma by all accounts.
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