Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires worldwide—including Australians Dick Smith, Graham Marr, and Richard Barnes—have signed an open letter urging governments to tax extreme wealth more heavily. Ahead of Davos, they argue that concentrated wealth undermines democracy, deepens inequality, and worsens the climate crisis.
In Australia, the 48 billionaires hold more wealth than the bottom 40% (~11 million people). Proposals include a 5% wealth tax (potentially raising $17 billion/year for childcare, housing, and healthcare), higher taxes on the top 1%, tighter capital gains rules, and an inheritance tax.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is open to capital gains adjustments but has ruled out inheritance tax for now. These voices from the ultra-wealthy strengthen the case for mandatory, systemic progressive reform to ensure fair contribution and fund essential public goods.
#WealthTax #TaxTheRich #Inequality #ProgressiveTax #Davos2026 #EconomicJustice

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/11/australian-millionaires-super-rich-higher-taxes

Three Australian millionaires say the nation’s super-rich should face higher taxes

Dick Smith, Graham Marr and Richard Barnes are the only Australians among 400 millionaires and billionaires globally to sign an open letter calling for higher taxes on the super rich

The Guardian
California's 'billionaire tax' could bite harder than advertised

If it implements a planned 5-percent on billionaires, California should get used to the sight of moving vans leaving the state.

Reason.com
South Korea's Blue House is considering raising progressive tax rates on high-value single-home owners, while maintaining land transaction permit zones and planning new nuclear plants to support semiconductor power needs.
#YonhapInfomax #ProgressiveTax #SingleHomeOwners #BlueHouse #NuclearPower #RealEstatePolicy #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=100169
What if we taxed what people spend, not what they earn? | The-14

What if taxes targeted spending, not income? A progressive consumption tax could boost savings, productivity, and wages while protecting households fairly.

The-14 Pictures
Governments should tax based on assets instead of income!
#tax #assettax #incometax #taxpolicy #economics #taxsystem #landvaluetax #zakat #progressivetax
"Taxman" is a song by the English rock band #theBeatles from their 1966 album #Revolver. Written by the group's lead guitarist, #GeorgeHarrison, with some lyrical assistance from #JohnLennon, it protests against the higher level of #progressiveTax imposed in the United Kingdom by the #Labour government of #HaroldWilson, which saw the Beatles paying over 90 per cent of their earnings to the #Treasury. The song was selected as the album's opening track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyu5sFzWLk8
The Beatles - Taxman (remastered)

YouTube
"Sunny Afternoon" is a song by #theKinks, written by #RayDavies and released as a single in June 1966. The track was included on the #FaceToFace album released in late October, and served as the title track for a 1967 compilation album. Like its contemporary "#Taxman" by #theBeatles, the song references the high levels of #progressiveTax taken by the British #Labour government of #HaroldWilson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw555YwHE48
The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon (Official Audio)

YouTube

Now that they have amassed sufficient wealth, they have started to use it for regulatory capture. Lobbying, an end to progressive taxation, trickle-down economics, Ciziens United, and now their own pet fascist president. They are reasserting their *political* dominance of old, using fascist methodology.

#fascism
#RegulatoryCapture
#lobbying
#CitizensUnited
#ProgressiveTax
#feudalism
#neofeudalism

"Sunny Afternoon" is a song by #theKinks, written by #RayDavies and released as a single in June 1966. The track was included on the #FaceToFace album released in late October, and served as the title track for a 1967 compilation album. Like its contemporary "#Taxman" by #theBeatles, the song references the high levels of #progressiveTax taken by the British #Labour government of #HaroldWilson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw555YwHE48
The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon (Official Audio)

YouTube
Arizona lawmakers face big deficit due mostly to massive tax cut and school voucher expansion

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature return to the state Capitol on Monday with a nearly $1 billion problem on their hands. Lawmakers face a steep deficit due mostly to plummeting revenues from a massive tax cut that took full effect last year and skyrocketing costs from a school voucher program expansion. A year ago, the state had a budget surplus of $1.8 billion. Now, it has a shortfall of about $400 million for the current fiscal year and another $450 million shortfall in the following year. Budget analysts say the shortfall will likely grow when the state’s next revenue forecast is released later this month.

AP News