A group of activists, economists, politicians, and even some billionaires, have registered an initiative calling on the EU to introduce an tax on the very rich to fund social and environmental transitions — is it feasible?
  • Heringssalat@feddit.deEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    In reality, however, inequalities have persistently grown, to the point where today the richest 1% of the world’s population own almost half of the global wealth and that same 1% also emit more CO2 than the poorest half of the planet.

    Dumb argument for a tax in the EU.
    If you earn 45000€ or more per year (post-tax) you are in the 1%. (According to this)
    That sure is a nice wage, but it’s definitely not rich and employees with a degree are not the people we should be taxing even more.

    Also this:

    The richest 1% of the planet own nearly half of all wealth. These same ultra-rich emit more CO2 than the poorest half of the planet.

    So 45000€ is ultra-rich?

    • Torres@lemmy.worldEnglish
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      1 year ago

      I couldn’t find anywhere what they mean by 1%. If it’s as you say, and an annual income of €4500 is enough to be considered as such, then I think it would be quite excessive.

      • Heringssalat@feddit.deEnglish
        0·
        1 year ago

        the richest 1% of the world’s population

        If you earn 45000€ a year, which in many countries is just a bit above average, then you are richer than 99% of people in the entire world.

    • 9bananas@lemmy.worldEnglish
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      1 year ago

      the 1% the petition is talking about is global, as well as the ownership claims, and the CO2 pollution claim.

      it’s worded a bit oddly, but they want to tax the “global 1%”, not (just) the “EU 1%”.

      as you pointed out, there’s a pretty big difference between the two.

      since the initiatives goals are largely about climate change, which is obviously a global problem in need of global solutions, this framing makes sense. it could have been written a bit clearer…

      • Version@feddit.deEnglish
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        1 year ago

        No. If you own 40.000€ per year, you are in the top 1% globally. So, „taxing the rich 1%“ means not only taxing billionaires, but also average incomes in western countries.

        Edit: Here you can check how rich you actually are: How rich am I?

        • BuldgingVampire@feddit.deEnglish
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          1 year ago

          Nice Website but its only checks your income. If you have to work for your money your not rich in a western country

          • Version@feddit.deEnglish
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            1 year ago

            What? Of course you are. You are not rich by western standards, but globally you are.

  • Sigmatics@lemmy.caEnglish
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    1 year ago

    I’ll be the one to pop the bubble. All this will do: people will move their assets outside the EU, making tax havens even richer.

    • sirjash@feddit.deEnglish
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      1 year ago

      This in turn will put more pressure on legislators to go after them. This game only works until it doesn’t