Beyond the Tax-the-rich Narrative: How Italians Consider Taxing Wealth'

This article examines attitudes toward wealth taxation in Italy through a survey of 2,400 individuals. Moving beyond the conventional “tax-the-rich” narrative, we investigate how people view wealth taxes as a potential alternative to income and consumption taxation. Our analysis explores how self-interest, personal beliefs, and political orientation shape these views. We find that support for wealth taxes stems not from redistributive motives, but from a preference for a less intrusive tax system with moderate progressivity, an approach aligned with classical-liberal principles. Respondents prefer wealth taxes to consumption taxes, and notably favor a proposal to replace all existing taxes with a single wealth tax. However, concerns arise about potential increases in overall tax burden and the inclusion of primary residences in the tax base. Contrary to expectations, political orientation plays a limited role in shaping attitudes, though we find an interaction effect between political views and economic status. The earmarking of tax revenues does not significantly influence preferences.