If you take a broad view that income is an increase in wealth before expenses, then things are hard to calculate. If you focus narrowly on cash transfers, then

If you take a broad view that income is an increase in wealth before expenses, then things are hard to calculate. If you focus narrowly on cash transfers, then you get an unfair tax system, where some forms of wealth accumulation are taxed much more heavily than others. Progressive tax systems are the headline policy of standard social democrat[0] dogma. But if you happen to own something that increases in value, it isn't usually "visible" to a progressive tax system, so it subverts the intent, and it's just working stiffs who get taxed the most, and not people who are accumulating wealth the fastest. [0] not to be confused with democratic socialism