Ali opposed centralized control over provincial revenues. He also equally distributed the taxes and booty amongst Muslims, following the precedent of Muhammad and Abu Bakr. This practice may indicate the egalitarian views of Ali, who thus attempted to unravel the social order established under his predecessors: Umar distributed the state revenues according to perceived Islamic merit and precedence, which he apparently came to regret later as it replaced the Quranic principle of equality among the faithful. In turn, Uthman was widely accused of nepotism and corruption. The strictly egalitarian policies of Ali earned him the support of nearly all underprivileged groups, including the Ansar, the (), and the late immigrants to Iraq. In contrast, Talha and Zubayr were both Qurayshite companions of Muhammad who had amassed immense wealth under Uthman. They both revolted against Ali after the caliph refused to grant them favors. Some other figures among the Quraysh also turned against Ali for the same reason, write Ayoub and John McHugo. Ali is said to have even rejected a request by his brother Aqil for public funds, whereas Mu'awiya readily offered all of them bribes. Regarding taxation, Ali instructed his officials to collect payments on a voluntary basis and without harassment, and to prioritize the poor when distributing the funds. He directed Malik al-Ashtar in a letter to pay more attention to land development than short-term taxation.
