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Inheritance tax: do the super-rich already contribute enough?

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I work as editor and correspondent at the Federal Palace. I report on Swiss politics for the Swiss Abroad and manage our political talk show Let's Talk. I started in local journalism in the early nineties and have worked in many journalistic fields, held management positions and covered a range of topics. I joined SWI swissinfo.ch in 2017.

On November 30, Switzerland will vote on an initiative proposing an inheritance tax hike. Is it logical to demand to “tax the rich” in an era marked by a new super-wealthy class? Do multimillionaires already contribute enough to society through their companies?

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Swiss2coeur
Swiss2coeur
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Hello everyone, __Whoever follows the path set out by France will end up like her. Swiss people, don't imitate, innovate. Socialism has never reduced poverty. It's just another type of mediocre bourgeoisie that rules. Quality schools and education produce a well-educated, multi-skilled people who, with their baggage, will be able to evolve and support themselves without taking from some what others have not earned. I earn my living, I don't expect others to give it to me. All I expect is that we support each other when misfortune/accidents occur. The only exception will be for the disabled, who cannot support themselves. The rest of you deserve what you have. If you have a lot, good for you; if you have enough, good for you; if you don't have enough, challenge yourself (education? Ability? Temperament?). Taxes and VAT are historical spoliations created mainly by France, which was able to sell them around the world. At first they ask for little, then always a little more and always for a better world. It's a bottomless pit where the richest are guilty.

Bonjour à toutes et tous, __Qui suit le chemin tracé par la France finira comme elle. __Peuple Suisse, n’imitez pas, innovez. __Le socialisme n’a jamais fait reculer la pauvreté. C est juste une autre type de bourgeoisie médiocre qui gouverne. __Une école et une éducation de qualité donnent un peuple instruit et polyvalent qui, avec son bagage saura évoluer et se soutenir sans prendre à certains ce que d autres non pas mérité. Je gagne ma vie, je n attends pas des autres qu ils me donnent. Seulement que l on se soutienne quand un malheur/accident de la vie peut apparaître. __La seule exception sera pour les handicapés de la vie, qui ne peuvent subvenir à leurs besoins. Les autres, vous méritez ce que vous avez. Si vous avez bcp, tant mieux pour vous, si vous avez assez, tant mieux pour vous, si vous n avez pas assez, remettez vous en cause (études? Capacités? Tempérament?). __Les impôts, la TVA, sont des spoliations historiques créés majoritairement par la France qui a su les vendre à travers la planète. Au départ ils en demandent peu, puis toujours un peu plus et toujours pour un monde meilleur. C est un puits sans fond où le plus riche est coupable.

Erich Baumann
Erich Baumann
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

Basically, the contribution of the super-rich to society worldwide is far too low. This is particularly the case in North America and in many poorer countries. How the problem is to be solved must be dealt with differently in each country. Personally, I don't believe that wealth taxation is a particularly good instrument. I think better income taxation would be more effective (for example, higher taxation of dividends and other investment income above a certain level). More progression on very high individual incomes would also be effective. And yes, better inheritance taxation could also be a good tool to make the super-rich class better citizens.

Grundsätzlich ist der Beitrag der Superreichen an die Gesellschaft weltweit viel zu gering. Besonders in Nordamerika und in vielen ärmeren Ländern ist das extrem der Fall. Wie das Problem gelöst werden soll muss in jedem Land verschieden behandelt werden. Persönlich glaube ich nicht, dass die Vermögensbesteuerung ein besonders gutes Instrument ist. Ich glaube eine bessere Einkommenbesteuerung wäre wirksamer (zum Beispiel höhere Besteuerung von Dividenden und anderen Investitionseinkommen über eine bestimmte Höhe). Auch mehr Progression bei sehr hohen individuellen Einkommen wäre wirksam. Und ja, eine bessere Erbschaftbessteuerung könnte auch ein gutes Instrument sein um die Superreichenklasse zu besseren Bürgern zu machen.

ViSim
ViSim
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

The article contains a lot of information, but it also causes confusion: the idea of "taxing the rich" is being discussed worldwide today, but corresponds to wealth taxation in Switzerland. If international comparisons are to be made on inheritance tax, an international comparison should also have been made on wealth taxation, which is still practised in Switzerland in contrast to most industrialised countries. This would give a more balanced picture. Another aspect that is completely underestimated in the article is the problem that such a tax causes in the transfer of medium-sized and large family businesses. If the company has to be sold in order to pay the tax, you are treading on thin ice. This aspect is practically not mentioned in the article.

L'article apporte beaucoup d'informations, mais il induit aussi des éléments de confusion: l'idée de "taxer" les riches est aujourd'hui en discussion au niveau mondial, mais elle correspond à la taxation de la fortune en Suisse. Quitte à faire des comparaisons internationales sur l'imposition des successions, il aurait fallu aussi faire une comparaison internationale sur l'imposition de la fortune, que la Suisse pratique encore contrairement à la plupart des pays industrialisés. Le tableau serait ainsi plus équilibré. Un autre aspect complètement sous-estimé par l'article est le problème provoqué par une tel impôt dans le cas de transmission de sociétés familiales moyennes ou grandes. Lorsqu'il faut vendre la société pour s'acquitter de l'impôt, on est sur un terrain glissant. Cet aspect est pratiquement passé sous silence par l'article.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR