In 1960, the top marginal tax rate was 91%, applying to income over $200,000 for single filers — equivalent to roughly $1.5 million in today’s dollars.
Securities tax. A type of wealth tax, we confiscate 1-2% of all stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments, each and every year. Not the cash value of those securities; the shares of those securities. Natural persons can exempt the first $10 million of their investment portfolio; no exemptions for corporate investors.
IRS liquidators will hold those securities, selling them off slowly, such that liquidated shares comprise no more than 1% of total traded volume.
“Securities” are “ownership of the means of production”. Directly taxing securities melts their returns, and drives the ultra-rich to reduce their ownership stakes.
Alternatively, adopt universal healthcare, and assess the costs of the program to the richest person. When the richest person’s wealth has been reduced to #2, the second-richest gets to share the burden. Repeat as needed to fully fund universal healthcare. No single person gets to be “richest”; they get to share that title.
Securities tax. A type of wealth tax, we confiscate 1-2% of all stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments, each and every year. Not the cash value of those securities; the shares of those securities. Natural persons can exempt the first $10 million of their investment portfolio; no exemptions for corporate investors.
IRS liquidators will hold those securities, selling them off slowly, such that liquidated shares comprise no more than 1% of total traded volume.
“Securities” are “ownership of the means of production”. Directly taxing securities melts their returns, and drives the ultra-rich to reduce their ownership stakes.
Alternatively, adopt universal healthcare, and assess the costs of the program to the richest person. When the richest person’s wealth has been reduced to #2, the second-richest gets to share the burden. Repeat as needed to fully fund universal healthcare. No single person gets to be “richest”; they get to share that title.