Wealth Taxes Don’t Work Wherever They’re Used: Allison Schrager

I was once on a tour in Provence that included the house where Nostradamus used to live, which features several windows that have been bricked over. “That’s because the government used to tax you based on how many windows your house had,” I volunteered to the group, trying to be informative. “And that’s why wealth taxes don’t work,” I added, trying not to be annoying.

I am not sure the tour guide — a proud Marxist, this was France after all, I expected nothing less — appreciated my editorializing. But it’s a relevant issue again as France considers a wealth ...