Taxes on wealth or simply wealth tax is the tax levied on the value of wealth owned by a person. As the term ‘wealth’ carries with it a broader meaning, generally capital transfer taxes (which include inheritance tax and gift tax), property tax, and capital gains taxes are some times invariably referred to as wealth taxes.
Taxes on wealth were first introduced in Europe, aimed at reducing the growing wealth gap between the rich and the poor. It was meant to raise revenue for addressing pressing social requirements and also to discourage the attitude towards amassing wealth.
Still, in countries across the world, majority of wealth is concentrated at the hands of fairly small number of people. Ideally taxes on wealth cuts down the disparities in wealth rather than the income, which actually is the determinant factor on how the scales are weighed for the next generations.
Also, taxes on wealth can bring about vertical as well as horizontal equity, which income tax fails to achieve. For example, neither a wealthy person nor a poor one with no income will pay income tax. But the wealthy ones need to cough up wealth tax while the poor need not.
But, as critics puts down, taxes on wealth can actually cause inefficiency by discouraging wealth producing economic initiatives. Also, the revenue generated by imposing taxes on wealth may not be that productive as the theory suggests. The wealthiest form only a small percentage of the population and by nature they are adept at avoiding taxes while remaining themselves within the contours of law.
Taxes on wealth comes in two forms – the capital transfer taxes that are levied when wealth change hands and the annual wealth taxes. Capital transfer taxes can occur either at death – also called inheritance tax – or via donation (gift tax). Some people tend to believe that Capital Gains tax to be a form of taxes on wealth. But in realty, capital gains tax is the taxation on the income obtained on capital and not a wealth tax on the capital.
Ideally, taxes on wealth should not be severe on the tax payers even if they have lots of wealth. Instead, after the minimum slab of no taxation, the taxes on wealth percentage should increase at increments, depending on the value of wealth in dollars. Such a fairer taxation not only increases the revenue but also goes a long way in bringing down the inequality aspect as well.
But with intelligent investing, one can save a lot that other wise goes as wealth tax. But that requires careful thought and advanced planning. May be a tax professional could help one in this regard.
Jakob Jelling
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Be Wise - Strive For Total Wealth
When we lack certain things, the joy of living is diminished. In some instances we may become severely distressed and even incapacitated by such lack. When we are sick, in other words, when we lack good health, it is not a happy situation and we do all we can to regain our health. When someone is poor, that is, when they lack money and material possessions, life is not very enjoyable. Such a person is not able to live the way they wish or do the things they want. Poverty oppresses and incapacitates. As individuals and as nations, we all are desirous to distance ourselves from poverty.
Likewise, life is not so full and joyful when we fail to find happiness and fulfillment in relationships and in our work. (By relationships, I mean relationship with God and with our fellow human beings). The deep desires we have to commune with deity and to love and be loved by others are emotional needs we are born with. And so we find that human beings experience want in three identifiable areas. Life requires us to cope with physical, material and spiritual wants.
The saying, "health is wealth" implies that someone in good health can be said to have physical wealth. When a person has a lot of money and material possessions we describe them as being materially wealthy. In the same vein, when someone finds happiness and fulfillment in relationships and in their work, they can be said to possess spiritual wealth. And this brings us to the concept of total wealth. To have total wealth is to be completely free from physical, material and spiritual lack. This is the holistic model of success. A person is truly wealthy only when they have gained total wealth.
In general, people tend to be primarily concerned with their material well being. Hence they focus on striving for material wealth. But thanks to the likes of Jane Fonda, the American fitness buff who helped to popularize the "keep fit" trend. There is now an awareness of the health risks inherent in the sedentary life style engendered by technological advancement. These days, being healthy is not just about being free from sickness. One has to be physically fit. Lots of people are now adopting the proactive approach of exercising regularly to maintain good health and keep fit. Many have realized the need to actively pursue wealth of the physical kind.
However, acquiring spiritual wealth is one goal most people cannot be said to be striving hard to attain. And to think that this ought to be our first priority. When someone gains spiritual wealth, they are guaranteed to also gain material and physical wealth. If you have any reservations about this assertion, then listen to the wise counsel of one of the world's greatest spiritual luminaries, Jesus Christ of Nazareth:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (The Bible, Mathew 6:25-33).
But what is there to lose if someone chooses not to bother with the pursuit of spiritual wealth? The answer to this question can be found by taking a close look at the lives of some prominent individuals.
When it comes to fame and fortune, very few people can match Michael Jackson. He rose so high as a star that the tag, superstar was just not good enough and so he was dubbed, megastar. The singer undoubtedly raked in fabulous amounts as earnings from record sales worldwide. But in spite of his phenomenal career success, he did not find happiness and fulfillment in close relationships. His marriage to Priscilla Presley did not turn out to be blissful. He was involved in other relationships that ended on a sour and acrimonious note with settlements taking place in and out of court. Michael Jackson may have ranked as one of the richest and most famous men in the world, but he certainly was not one of the happiest. Fame and riches are simply not enough. We need spiritual wealth to guarantee happiness and fulfillment in life. (The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, died on 26 June 2009 of heart attack at the age of 50).
The late Princess Diana had everything going for her, it seemed. She became a member of one of the world's most loved and respected royal families by marriage. In terms of material wealth and social status, her union with British royalty catapulted her to the very top. However, the love of God and fellow man, which are pointers to spiritual wealth, were not particularly evident in her private life. In marriage, the closest of human relationships, happiness and fulfillment eluded her. In time, she slid from the position of dream princess to the level of adulterous spouse and then chose to tag along as girlfriend to a wealthy businessman. We all know the tragic end to her story. She was killed in a car crash while on a trip with her lover.
As monarch of an oil producing Arab State, the late King Hussein of Jordan enjoyed the affluence and influence that come with his position. But while all was well materially, he was wanting in physical wealth. Even the best doctors in the United States could not save him from the cancer that put an end to his reign while he was still in his sixties. Money cannot always secure good health much less procure longevity. Only the possession of spiritual wealth will enable us attain and maintain happiness, good health and success in life.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus confirms that there is a price to pay when we fail to make acquiring spiritual wealth our first priority, (The Bible, Luke 12:13-21):
"Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grains and my goods. And I will say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God."
If the reader is still not convinced of the wisdom of striving for spiritual wealth, the statement I am about to quote should settle the matter. It was made by someone who has chased after the material as well as the spiritual kind of wealth.
Sir John Templeton is one of America's most successful financial investors. He is reputed to have created some of the world's largest and most successful international investment funds. Later, he sold his various Templeton Funds to the Franklin Group for $440 million. Now in his nineties, he is a full time philanthropist. Through the John Templeton Foundation, which he established, he gives away about $40 million a year to funding work aimed at discovering and advancing scientific knowledge about the spiritual aspect of life. For his many accomplishments, he was knighted Sir John by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987.
Here is what this extraordinary individual has to say about what the pursuit of spiritual wealth has done to his life: "I focus on spiritual wealth now, and I am busier, more enthusiastic, and more joyful than I have ever been."
In terms of quality of life, we all want the best for ourselves and total wealth is the very best that life has to offer us. Be wise, strive for it.
Emmanuel Emezie
Likewise, life is not so full and joyful when we fail to find happiness and fulfillment in relationships and in our work. (By relationships, I mean relationship with God and with our fellow human beings). The deep desires we have to commune with deity and to love and be loved by others are emotional needs we are born with. And so we find that human beings experience want in three identifiable areas. Life requires us to cope with physical, material and spiritual wants.
The saying, "health is wealth" implies that someone in good health can be said to have physical wealth. When a person has a lot of money and material possessions we describe them as being materially wealthy. In the same vein, when someone finds happiness and fulfillment in relationships and in their work, they can be said to possess spiritual wealth. And this brings us to the concept of total wealth. To have total wealth is to be completely free from physical, material and spiritual lack. This is the holistic model of success. A person is truly wealthy only when they have gained total wealth.
In general, people tend to be primarily concerned with their material well being. Hence they focus on striving for material wealth. But thanks to the likes of Jane Fonda, the American fitness buff who helped to popularize the "keep fit" trend. There is now an awareness of the health risks inherent in the sedentary life style engendered by technological advancement. These days, being healthy is not just about being free from sickness. One has to be physically fit. Lots of people are now adopting the proactive approach of exercising regularly to maintain good health and keep fit. Many have realized the need to actively pursue wealth of the physical kind.
However, acquiring spiritual wealth is one goal most people cannot be said to be striving hard to attain. And to think that this ought to be our first priority. When someone gains spiritual wealth, they are guaranteed to also gain material and physical wealth. If you have any reservations about this assertion, then listen to the wise counsel of one of the world's greatest spiritual luminaries, Jesus Christ of Nazareth:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (The Bible, Mathew 6:25-33).
But what is there to lose if someone chooses not to bother with the pursuit of spiritual wealth? The answer to this question can be found by taking a close look at the lives of some prominent individuals.
When it comes to fame and fortune, very few people can match Michael Jackson. He rose so high as a star that the tag, superstar was just not good enough and so he was dubbed, megastar. The singer undoubtedly raked in fabulous amounts as earnings from record sales worldwide. But in spite of his phenomenal career success, he did not find happiness and fulfillment in close relationships. His marriage to Priscilla Presley did not turn out to be blissful. He was involved in other relationships that ended on a sour and acrimonious note with settlements taking place in and out of court. Michael Jackson may have ranked as one of the richest and most famous men in the world, but he certainly was not one of the happiest. Fame and riches are simply not enough. We need spiritual wealth to guarantee happiness and fulfillment in life. (The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, died on 26 June 2009 of heart attack at the age of 50).
The late Princess Diana had everything going for her, it seemed. She became a member of one of the world's most loved and respected royal families by marriage. In terms of material wealth and social status, her union with British royalty catapulted her to the very top. However, the love of God and fellow man, which are pointers to spiritual wealth, were not particularly evident in her private life. In marriage, the closest of human relationships, happiness and fulfillment eluded her. In time, she slid from the position of dream princess to the level of adulterous spouse and then chose to tag along as girlfriend to a wealthy businessman. We all know the tragic end to her story. She was killed in a car crash while on a trip with her lover.
As monarch of an oil producing Arab State, the late King Hussein of Jordan enjoyed the affluence and influence that come with his position. But while all was well materially, he was wanting in physical wealth. Even the best doctors in the United States could not save him from the cancer that put an end to his reign while he was still in his sixties. Money cannot always secure good health much less procure longevity. Only the possession of spiritual wealth will enable us attain and maintain happiness, good health and success in life.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus confirms that there is a price to pay when we fail to make acquiring spiritual wealth our first priority, (The Bible, Luke 12:13-21):
"Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grains and my goods. And I will say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God."
If the reader is still not convinced of the wisdom of striving for spiritual wealth, the statement I am about to quote should settle the matter. It was made by someone who has chased after the material as well as the spiritual kind of wealth.
Sir John Templeton is one of America's most successful financial investors. He is reputed to have created some of the world's largest and most successful international investment funds. Later, he sold his various Templeton Funds to the Franklin Group for $440 million. Now in his nineties, he is a full time philanthropist. Through the John Templeton Foundation, which he established, he gives away about $40 million a year to funding work aimed at discovering and advancing scientific knowledge about the spiritual aspect of life. For his many accomplishments, he was knighted Sir John by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987.
Here is what this extraordinary individual has to say about what the pursuit of spiritual wealth has done to his life: "I focus on spiritual wealth now, and I am busier, more enthusiastic, and more joyful than I have ever been."
In terms of quality of life, we all want the best for ourselves and total wealth is the very best that life has to offer us. Be wise, strive for it.
Emmanuel Emezie
A New Paradigm Shift in Wealth Creation
Creating and amassing wealth is more than just a necessity. For centuries, the practice of climbing the ladder to richness has led to wars, influenced literature, and shaped cultures. Whether wealth comes in the form of money or food, all civilizations have pursued it.
The system of wealth creation is based on the current worldview, which in turn is based on the way science is studied and perceived. Most people will not be aware of existing paradigms of wealth creation. They will be too busy accumulating and creating wealth rather than being concerned with the process which they and their wealth underwent.
Existing paradigms in wealth creation drive economies, and any shortcomings in existing paradigms can lead to changes being made in the wealth creation background. A new science can pique the interest of people and shift investments in different directions. A shift in interest and investments can create new worldviews. With new science and worldviews, a new system of wealth creation can be developed. This paradigm shift can be sustained for as long as the system is relevant. Again, shortcomings will be found, and again, changes will be made. The process goes on.
Primitive humans were nomadic. They moved around and lived from day to day, saving little for stores and subsisting on what food they could come across. As soon as they settled down, and as soon as agriculture became a way of life, humans learned to keep provisions. Keeping provisions meant keeping wealth. Holding wealth gave humans the chance to hold sway over those who held much less wealth. The gap between those who had between those who had none grew and widened.
At this point, localized wealth creation was rampant, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the Medieval Age. Rich landowners employed poor farmers to work as slaves or fiefs. Wealth was amassed by force. Compensation came only if a harvest was successful, and if the fruits of the harvest could be sold. Only a few people had wealth, and they were not very charitable to begin with.
As human skills stretched beyond agriculture, the Industrial Age began, and centralized wealth creation became the paradigm. Slaves became employees who were compensated with wages and salaries. As payments were standardized, so were companies. Monopolies abounded, and competition was low.
Science, however, was on the upswing, and as more and more people were educated in science, more and more people began to understand industry and its workings. Slowly, competition rose, monopolies were broken, and jobs once given to a few people could already be held by many.
With the spread and abundance of industries came advances in science – and with these advances came discoveries that created more jobs. With vaccination came epidemiologists. With the discovery of DNA came molecular biologists. With the Internet came web designers, graphic artists, and database creators.
With the rise of the information age came mass privatization. The wealth creation paradigm consisted of communities without boundaries, where everyone could specialize in everything. A scientist could be a journalist but specialize in nuclear physics. An academician could be an economist consulting with the government on the feasibility of introducing new agricultural crops. As the World Wide Web crossed slowly through the world, careers crossed paths with each other and merged.
If the Medieval age brought power to the hands of the land-wealthy, and if the Industrial age bowed to those who were industry-wealthy, the Modern age shifts wealth to those who possess brains. The world's wealthiest man is Bill Gates, a nerd who is still laughing all the way to the bank.
The mass privatization of the modern age has seen companies helping each other move forward. If a food company wants progress, it must consult with scientists to conduct safety tests on its products, nutritionists to proclaim its products as superior, advertising agencies to market its product, and complete eBusiness solutions to move the mortar-and-brick office to the Internet.
The paradigm is all about teamwork – to create wealth, everyone must help each other succeed. No longer are the lesser indebted to make the greater richer. Everyone has to run the race, but everyone must hold hands to reach the finish line together.
Some researchers have called this the age of free intraprise, the age of mass decentralization of wealth creation. This is an age where anyone and everyone can be rich, and where anyone and everyone can do so without being answerable to a higher power. People not only receive salaries or wages – they can receive compensation based on their worth, or a percentage of what they have sold. They can make wealth and receive it in various ways.
With the Internet bringing people together, the world has become one large family. The potential to create and amass wealth is no longer with one person – it is given to many, and yet these many elements working apart must still work together in order to succeed individually.
For the moment, with knowledge readily available, and with intelligence prized, the current paradigm seems suitable. How long it will last, and what will happen next, however, is still beyond the predictive powers of today's brain-driven society.
Daegan Smith
The system of wealth creation is based on the current worldview, which in turn is based on the way science is studied and perceived. Most people will not be aware of existing paradigms of wealth creation. They will be too busy accumulating and creating wealth rather than being concerned with the process which they and their wealth underwent.
Existing paradigms in wealth creation drive economies, and any shortcomings in existing paradigms can lead to changes being made in the wealth creation background. A new science can pique the interest of people and shift investments in different directions. A shift in interest and investments can create new worldviews. With new science and worldviews, a new system of wealth creation can be developed. This paradigm shift can be sustained for as long as the system is relevant. Again, shortcomings will be found, and again, changes will be made. The process goes on.
Primitive humans were nomadic. They moved around and lived from day to day, saving little for stores and subsisting on what food they could come across. As soon as they settled down, and as soon as agriculture became a way of life, humans learned to keep provisions. Keeping provisions meant keeping wealth. Holding wealth gave humans the chance to hold sway over those who held much less wealth. The gap between those who had between those who had none grew and widened.
At this point, localized wealth creation was rampant, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the Medieval Age. Rich landowners employed poor farmers to work as slaves or fiefs. Wealth was amassed by force. Compensation came only if a harvest was successful, and if the fruits of the harvest could be sold. Only a few people had wealth, and they were not very charitable to begin with.
As human skills stretched beyond agriculture, the Industrial Age began, and centralized wealth creation became the paradigm. Slaves became employees who were compensated with wages and salaries. As payments were standardized, so were companies. Monopolies abounded, and competition was low.
Science, however, was on the upswing, and as more and more people were educated in science, more and more people began to understand industry and its workings. Slowly, competition rose, monopolies were broken, and jobs once given to a few people could already be held by many.
With the spread and abundance of industries came advances in science – and with these advances came discoveries that created more jobs. With vaccination came epidemiologists. With the discovery of DNA came molecular biologists. With the Internet came web designers, graphic artists, and database creators.
With the rise of the information age came mass privatization. The wealth creation paradigm consisted of communities without boundaries, where everyone could specialize in everything. A scientist could be a journalist but specialize in nuclear physics. An academician could be an economist consulting with the government on the feasibility of introducing new agricultural crops. As the World Wide Web crossed slowly through the world, careers crossed paths with each other and merged.
If the Medieval age brought power to the hands of the land-wealthy, and if the Industrial age bowed to those who were industry-wealthy, the Modern age shifts wealth to those who possess brains. The world's wealthiest man is Bill Gates, a nerd who is still laughing all the way to the bank.
The mass privatization of the modern age has seen companies helping each other move forward. If a food company wants progress, it must consult with scientists to conduct safety tests on its products, nutritionists to proclaim its products as superior, advertising agencies to market its product, and complete eBusiness solutions to move the mortar-and-brick office to the Internet.
The paradigm is all about teamwork – to create wealth, everyone must help each other succeed. No longer are the lesser indebted to make the greater richer. Everyone has to run the race, but everyone must hold hands to reach the finish line together.
Some researchers have called this the age of free intraprise, the age of mass decentralization of wealth creation. This is an age where anyone and everyone can be rich, and where anyone and everyone can do so without being answerable to a higher power. People not only receive salaries or wages – they can receive compensation based on their worth, or a percentage of what they have sold. They can make wealth and receive it in various ways.
With the Internet bringing people together, the world has become one large family. The potential to create and amass wealth is no longer with one person – it is given to many, and yet these many elements working apart must still work together in order to succeed individually.
For the moment, with knowledge readily available, and with intelligence prized, the current paradigm seems suitable. How long it will last, and what will happen next, however, is still beyond the predictive powers of today's brain-driven society.
Daegan Smith
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