FET #57: Is it crazy to tax unrealised gains in superannuation? Talking tax with John Humphreys

Taxpayers Alliance Chief Economist John Humphreys joins the FET podcast to talk all things tax. Is it possible to tax unrealised gains, as is proposed on superannuation accounts over $3 million in value? Maybe. But why bother doing it when it mostly changes the timing of taxation rather than the revenue? We speculate as to whether it is a daring political manoeuvre—propose something you know your opposition will find outrageous to trick them into arguing for exactly the tax setting you actually want.Enjoy this conversation on taxes, strange politics (where was this super-tax conversation pre-election?), my favourite topic of Effective Marginal Tax Rates, and more. Side note: One thing John and I have in common is that we both want to scrap the superannuation system. I explain my reasons in this article. As always, please like, share, comment, and subscribe. Thanks for your support. You can find Fresh Economic Thinking on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.Theme: Happy Swing by Serge Quadrado Music—Creative Commons Licence CC BY-NC 4.0Interested in learning more? Fresh Economic Thinking runs in-person and online workshops to help your organisation dig into the economic issues you face and learn powerful insights. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.fresheconomicthinking.com/subscribe