UK Property Tax to Fund Tax Cuts for Rich

From the Associated Press:

Given the public unrest of the last few days, it would appear that the Cypriot government, having tried and failed with Plan A (wealth tax versions 1 and 2) and Plan B (beg the Russians directly), they have decided to go with Plan C (Collateralized Cypriot Obligations).

George Spritzer submits: This is one of a series of articles on specific municipal bond closed-end funds. In this report, I will analyze the Blackrock MuniHoldings Investment Quality Fund (ticker: MFL).

I was walking north on 5th street the other day looking at the state of the neighborhood and it occurred to me that maybe it would make sense to tax land values rather than policy values. That would encourage people to put their parcels to use, rather than endlessly sitting on vacant properties hoping for a better deal tomorrow.

Known for its white-sand beaches and killer rums, Puerto Rico hopes to stake a new claim: tax haven for the wealthy. Since the beginning of the year, the island has gone on a campaign to promote tax incentives that took effect last year, marketing its beautiful beaches, private schools and bargain costs in an effort to lure well-heeled hedge fund managers and business executives to its shores.

Over the last year, I've frequently lamented the United States' increasingly absurd position on corporate taxes - maintaining one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world and routinely demonizing standard international business tax practices, while other countries (like Canada) are racing to eliminate tax burdens in order to enhance their domestic companies' global competitiveness.  Unfortunately, the last few weeks have produced a depressing cavalcade of similar news.

Warren Buffett performed a very civic duty when he wrote his op-ed in the New York Times pleading for the U.S. government to raise his taxes.  He makes two basic points:  (1) the rich can surely afford to pay higher taxes, and (2) their paying higher taxes would not prevent them from investing and hiring.