Combating Inequality Conference: Progressive Taxation

(Full session) A tool to combat inequality is the tax code and its theoretical ability to redistribute income from the wealthiest citizens to low, middle income, and poor taxpayers. But a panel of tax experts at the “Combating Inequality” conference at the Peterson Institute for International Economics October 17-18, 2019 offers differing approaches toward that goal. Stefanie Stantcheva of Harvard University presents survey data on the misconceptions that lead many Americans to resist a more progressive tax system. Gabriel Zucman of the University of California at Berkeley, deploring the decline in US progressive taxation, argues that a tax on wealth, as advocated by some presidential candidates, would the best way to ensure that billionaires pay their fair share. Wojciech Kopczuk of Columbia University argues that other taxes besides a tax on wealth should be considered—such as an estate tax, higher income and corporate tax rates, capital gains taxes—and a value-added tax, provided that its revenue is used for progressive spending. Moderated by Gene Sperling, former economic adviser in the Obama and Clinton administrations.

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