How Did Maria Theresa Of Austria Reform The Economy?

Maria Theresa had to make changes to the economy as she was basically left with a bankrupt country. Haugwitz was put in charge of economic and tax reforms. His main aim was to get more efficiency out of the immense resources of the different provinces. It was realised that these reforms could lead to the end of the government's dependence on the estates. In 1748, each estate in Austria and Bohemia was permitted to still vote on its own taxes, but only once every ten years.

In addition, the responsibility of collecting taxes and provisions for the army would now be organised by civil servants. Each province was to be governed by a Representation responsible for military affairs and almost everything else in the later years. Maria Theresa also proposed an increase in customs duties and the drawing up of new tax registers. Most significantly, the nobles and clergy would have to pay taxes for the first time under the new law, though at only half the rate paid by the peasants.