This chapter focuses on political bargaining about taxation in the Swedish riksdag during the period 1789–1812. This was a time when European states faced challenges either to expand their state capabilities or to face the threat of invasion and political change. The analysis focuses on the types of taxes that became objects of political deliberation and the tax rates different social groups were obliged to pay. In order to broaden the perspective on the developments in Sweden, limited comparisons are made with the decisions taken at the same time by the estates of Hungary. The analyses show that the Swedish king increased his political autonomy in the 1770s and 1780s, but it was difficult in the long run to expand the government’s resources without the participation of the riksdag. One difference between Hungary and Sweden was the role government debt played in the political negotiations between the ruler and the estates. While the estates of Hungary had a limited role in this regard, the Swedish riksdag was involved in financing and also in the administration of government debt through its Debt Office. Public debt was therefore a key object of political contestation in Sweden over the course of the period.