 Until the late 17th century, tax collectors were called .In 1680, the system of the Ferme Générale was established, a franchised customs and excise operation in which individuals bought the right to collect the taille on behalf of the king, through 6-years adjudications (certain taxes like the and the had been farmed out in this way as early as 1604).The major tax collectors in that system were known as the (farmers-general in English).