An increase in the number of manors brought enormous income to powerful nobles such as sekkan-ke (regent family), as well as temples and shrines under their protection, but on the other hand, tax collection by kokushi (provincial governors) became impossible (in other words, imperial demesne decreased), causing serious harm to national finance.
荘園の増大は摂関家などの有力貴族や彼らに保護された寺社などに莫大な収入をもたらす一方、国司等による税の徴収が不可能（すなわち公領の減少）となってしまうために国家財政に深刻な打撃を与えていた。