The role of intendant des finances was created in 1552 as a 'commission' or committee, to manage the subsidies raised for the 'trip to Germany', though these commissaires were only known by that title from 1556 onwards.
Each intendant was put in charge of a geographical département as well as (until 1661) specialist duties such as for roads and bridges or for directly imposed taxes.
They benefitted from a wide autonomy in exercising their powers in their own départements, directly answering to the chancellor of France, the secrétaires d'État and the provincial intendants.
However, even if the rank of the intendant des finances became almost equivalent to that of a secretary of state, they did not have the privilege (reserved for the Controller-General) of working in particular with the king.
The intendants des finances nevertheless continued to assert their importance and rank nevertheless right up to the reign of Louis XV.