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Discuss Whether the Most Effective Way to Have Income and Wealth Equality Is to Tax Income More Progressively.

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Discuss whether the most effective way to have income and wealth equality is to tax income more progressively.
Income is a stable flow of money, often a salary, which someone works for but this can also be made through interest on savings. This flow of money is often very unequal from person to person due to wage differentials, this then creates inequality. Wealth on the other hand is a stock of assets which have a market value, which may change over time e.g. houses or cars. These are often inherited but can be bought by someone through their income. Wealth and income often found together however someone who is wealthy doesn’t always have a large income. Their relationship with inequality is also very different with a lot more inequality …show more content…

To stop this there may need to be a re-evaluation of the system as the replacement ratio is too high. This can also create poor attitudes, with generations of people not working. This is also found in the work place with some people refusing pay rises as they will have to pay more money in tax as they go through a tax boundary. However more recently this has happened with child benefits as these are being reduced depending on how much someone earns another reason why someone would refuse a pay rise.

Wealth is often harder to tax however it is often caused by income so the tax system previously described may be used to reduce wealth and thus stopping inequality. This system can also be found in wealth though, with inheritance tax being used progressively. For example any money above 325,000 is taxed at 40%. This then creates a source of revenue for the government but also stops people inheriting huge sums of money, stopping inequality. However this system has its flaws as the tax has to be paid first, it could also be argued as unfair as someone who works for their money is entitled to leave it to who they want, especially as it was already taxed when it was earned. This system has also caused many pensioners to move abroad where what they leave is taxed less. The money inherited is also often used by entrepreneurs to fund businesses so the system may also reduce the possibility for future in income tax. This systems also sonly raises

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