Make It Prestigious to Pay: Plotting Wealth Tax Incentives
Dr. Adam North discusses methods for incentivising the ultra-rich to contribute to a wealth tax.
Policymakers usually point to two issues with a wealth tax: wealth flight and political resistance. Yet beyond technical design and enforcement, there’s a more human problem at play: the emotional and psychological resistance of the wealthy themselves.
What if we shifted that narrative?
What if we made paying a wealth tax not just a civic duty—but a mark of status, achievement, and legacy?
In this article, I explore how non-financial incentives—from public recognition to civic memorialisation—could encourage the ultra-wealthy to not only accept but embrace a fair wealth tax.
1. The Psychology of Giving: Pride, Prestige, Legacy
Many wealthy individuals already give generously to philanthropy. Why? Research shows that motivations include:
· Status and reputation
· Legacy-building
· Altruism with visibility
But while charitable donations often come with plaques, galas, and buildings named in one’s honour, tax payments—often much larger—are anonymous, abstract, and even resented.
What if we borrowed from philanthropy's playbook?
2. Naming Public Infrastructure After Top Taxpayers
Newly built public hospitals, high speed rail lines, schools, parks, renewable power, etc could be named after those who contributed the most in tax revenue.
For instance, imagine how appealing something like this could be for the top 0.01%:
The Rishi Sunak Surgical Centre—Funded by contributions from Britain’s top 0.01% of wealth holders.
Or a national renewable energy lab named for a billionaire investor who contributed more through the tax system than they did through any foundation.
Why should only donations get naming rights?
We could offer high-profile contributors the same recognition for paying their fair share through democratic channels.
It’s more than vanity—it’s reputation laundering through civic engagement. A wealth tax could become a route not just to redistribution, but to immortality.
3. A National Leaderboard of Civic Contribution
The top 0.01% are clearly incredibly competitive so we could introduce an official annual “Civic Contribution Index”, listing:
· Top wealth tax contributors
· Top % of declared global assets
· Transparent participation in voluntary or enhanced civic levies
Such a leaderboard would:
· Provide social proof that the ultra-wealthy are contributing
· Encourage positive competition
· Offer a publicly trusted record of who funds national development
Transparency breeds trust—and pride.
Similar public indexes already exist for corporate sustainability, philanthropy rankings, and campaign contributions. Why not for taxes?
4. Tiered “Civic Champion” Recognition System
Inspired by honours systems like knighthoods or civilian medals, contributors to the national wealth tax pool could receive:
· Tiered national honours: e.g. “Civic Patron of Health”, “Public Education Champion”
· Access to policy advisory boards or forums
· Invitations to state-level events showcasing civic leadership
This isn't buying influence—it’s rewarding commitment to society in visible, meaningful ways.
5. Telling the Right Story
We must move from the idea of the wealthy as targets of resentment to wealthy citizens as key actors in a national project.
Messaging matters:
“You are helping build Britain’s future.”
“Your taxes are creating homes, hospitals, and innovation.”
“You will be remembered for how you contributed to your country, not just what you owned.”
We must revive a sense of civic patriotism among the wealthy: the idea that immense access to capital carries with it a responsibility—not as a burden, but as a calling. Those with the broadest shoulders should not fear being asked to carry more—they should be honoured for doing so.
It’s time to rebuild a culture of national pride in contribution, where paying your fair share is a badge of honour, not a point of shame. In an age of disillusionment and drift, this is how we bring Britain back—not through austerity, but through shared responsibility, moral leadership, and visible national effort.
Let us reframe wealth as a tool for national stewardship—and tax as the means by which it fulfils its highest purpose.
6. A Broader Cultural Reset
These ideas are not about bribing the rich with praise—they are about reconfiguring cultural norms.
In Nordic countries, top taxpayers are publicly listed, and paying tax is often seen as a source of national pride.
In the UK, we often treat tax as theft, and evasion as cleverness. It's time to shift toward a culture that sees tax, like philanthropy, as a meaningful contribution to the common good.
Conclusion: Make It Prestigious to Pay
If we want a successful wealth tax, we need more than spreadsheets and enforcement plans. We need to win hearts—and reputations.
Let’s make tax not just compulsory, but aspirational.
If the wealthiest individuals are treated not as villains, but as nation-builders—named in stone, honoured in public, celebrated in history—we might find that they're more willing to pay than we ever imagined.
