In the USA, a group of millionaires have written an open letter to Barack Obama calling for an end to tax relief on income over a million US dollars.

Meanwhile in Germany, the Vermögende für eine Vermögensabgabe group (wealthy people in favour of a wealth tax) are campaigning for meaningful levels of property tax.

The USA - Fiscal Strength

This exert is taken from the open letter to Barack Obama from 82 wealthy Americans.

We are writing to urge you to stand firm against those who would put politics ahead of their country.

For the fiscal health of our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens, we ask that you allow tax cuts on incomes over $1,000,000 to expire at the end of this year as scheduled.

We make this request as loyal citizens who now or in the past earned an income of $1,000,000 per year or more......

Read the rest of the US millionaires' open letter and see all signatories

Germany - Appeal for a Wealth Tax

Vermögende für eine Vermögensabgabe (wealthy people in favour of a wealtth tax) is a group of German millionaires calling for meaningful levels of property tax.

Taxation, in their opinion, is unfairly skewed in their favour, that is to say, in the favour of the rich. And this, they claim, creates distortions. It means there are fewer funds reaching those who need them most, in schools, in hospitals, in social housing, which in turn creates a more unstable society. Indeed, it is precisely because they are not paying more tax that this group of wealthy individuals feel implicated in the broken society that they see forming around them. From The Times

Read the whole of the Times article about Vermögende für eine Vermögensabgabe (in English) or visit their website (in German).