Oxfam predicts first trillionaire within a decade, with gap between rich and poor likely to increase
Graham Watson's insight:
Oxfam with their traditional Davos opener, highlighting wealth inequality across the globe, with the world's five richest individuals doubling their wealth since 2020 whereas its stagnated for the poor. And bear in mind that's with Elon Musk's singularly inept stewardship of Twitter/X taken into account.
They also note that a wealth tax could generate substantial returns in the UK, possibly as much as £22bn if a 1-2% tax were levied on those with wealth above £10m.
Letter from almost 300 millionaires, economists and politicians says urgent action needed to prevent extreme wealth
Graham Watson's insight:
Ahead of this week's G20 meeting in Delhi, a number of campaigners have argued in favour of global co-operation to increase taxes on wealth. Depending upon your political views, it's either the politics of envy, or, a reasonable suggestion.
For what it's worth, the argument opposing such taxes is often that given that income is taxed, to tax wealth is effectively a 'double tax' - I'd suggest that for the super-rich, incomes aren't taxed effectively and this provides more of a justification for wealth taxes.
$26tn of new wealth created since start of pandemic went to richest, Oxfam report reveals
Graham Watson's insight:
You can't fault Oxfam's media team who, on the first day of Davos, release the latest data revealing that of the $26 trillion of wealth created since the pandemic, two-thirds of it was accrued by 1% of the population.
Is there any political desire to tackle rising levels of wealth inequality?
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Inequality had widened in the year since the virus first hit the global economy, the IMF said on Wednesday.
Graham Watson's insight:
It seems that the IMF is advocating a one-off wealth tax to tackle some of the inequality generated by the coronavirus pandemic. Remarkable though this may seem for an ostensibly free market institution it recognises the fact that annual wealth taxes tend to be less effective because they are easier to avoid.
Exclusive: Group of 83 wealthy individuals demands ‘immediate, substantial and permanent’ higher taxes ‘on people like us’
Graham Watson's insight:
It seems that at least some of the super-rich have a conscience, with 83 of them writing an open letter calling for higher taxes on the most wealthy in society in order to pay for Covid-19 recovery.
Does this contradict conventional economic theory - or is altruism utility maximising?
Charity calls for 1% wealth tax, saying it would raise enough to educate every child not in school
Graham Watson's insight:
Basics. The annual Oxfam look at global inequality: the world's 26 richest people own as much as the poorest 50%.
It's a staggering figure and Oxfam make a great deal of the fact that a 1% wealth tax could educate every child not in school and help prevent 3 million deaths.
I wonder if the 26 people identified go to bed at night thinking of that.
Brazil, Germany, Spain and South Africa sign motion for fairer tax system to deliver £250bn a year extra to fight poverty and climate crisis
Graham Watson's insight:
The latest meeting of G20 ministers has called for a 2% global wealth tax for the world's 3,000 billionaires, arguing that it could create a fund to reduce poverty, fight climate change and promote sustainable development.
It seems as though the call for a fairer tax system is an annual event. It's easy to do, far harder to implement, not least when, you suspect, the political will just isn't there.
Wealthiest 3,000 work on ‘edge of legality’ with shell companies to funnel dividends and own property, says EU Tax Observatory
Graham Watson's insight:
The EU Tax Observatory report on tax avoidance/evasion and they're of the view that the super-rich need to face wealth taxes rather than income taxes, largely because the latter are too easy to avoid.
They point to the proliferation of shell companies that exist almost exclusively for the purpose of avoiding tax, and as such, verge on being evasionary.
'Twas ever this - however, for me the biggest issue is attitudinal. We shouldn't fawn over the super-rich and tax avoidance is something that we should be critical of.
Nobel prize-winning economist calls for new top rate of income tax and 2-3% wealth tax on fortunes
Graham Watson's insight:
Joseph Stiglitz argues that there should be higher taxes for the super-rich suggesting that there's a case for an income tax rate of around 70% and a 2-3% wealth tax to reduce inequality. In both cases, he seems to argue that the role of luck, particularly as regards wealth, justifies higher taxes.
I'm cautiously inclined to agree with him - however, I'd also add that the capacity for the super-rich to increase both their incomes and wealth has been enhanced in recent times, which might justify higher taxes. And I'd also suggest that many of these gains seems to be divorced from any notably increase in their productivity.
However, at what point do such taxes act to disincentivise productive economic activity? And it's this that needs to be balanced against the desire for greater equality.
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Data leak published by ProPublica fuels calls to tighten up system which sees ultra-wealthy pay little or no tax
Graham Watson's insight:
Another look at the ProPublica leak that reveals the effective tax rates paid by the super-rich in the US, and the extent of their tax avoidance. The article tries to make the point that the the issue is no longer one that can be ignored, and that the scandal is more than they haven't broken any rules, illustrating the fact that current tax regimes aren't fit for purpose.
I'd also add that the US response, with the Department of Justice seemingly more concerned about who permitted the leak than the extent of the tax avoidance shows a degree of tone deafness to the prevailing mood.
A new study confirms tax cuts for the rich do not benefit the rest. Recovery from the pandemic is a chance to change course
Graham Watson's insight:
A former US Labour Secretary, Robert Reich, drives another nail into the coffin of trickle-down economics arguing that tax cuts for the rich don't have benefits for others, but wonders whether this is going to be taken on board by the Biden administration.
Is this another way in which the pandemic is going to reshape developed economies. I have to say, I suspect the answer in 'unfortunately not'. Sorry to be such a grinch.
A group of 18 wealthy individuals is arguing that politicians have a moral duty to tax them more.
Graham Watson's insight:
A rare bird - turkeys voting for Christmas. However, that is what a group of 18 US billionaires have opted to do, arguing that they have a moral duty to pay tax and calling for a wealth tax.
After listening to Bernie Sanders Speech on the unequal distribution of wealth in the U.S., I find this article to be very relevant. First of all, it shows that Sanders' speech is still important today, and it shows that some of the wealthiest people in the United States are working to redistribute money. They wrote a proposal to have higher taxes taken from them as a way to help prevent economic inequality and it would help with climate change as well. I think it is interesting that these wealthy people are asking to have more money taken away from them, but I believe that they are asking for the right thing.
Solidarity tax on wealth may be reimposed amid widening gilets jaunes movement
Graham Watson's insight:
It must be time for a new revolution in France - and are the gilets jaunes the 'gilded youth' of their day?
I doubt the latter, but it's caused lots of head-scratching, and the suggestion that the government are considering reintroducing the wealth tax that President Macron jettisoned in his election manifesto shows how desperate things are.
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And here's the accompanying letter from the Finance Ministers concerned...