Empirics prove avoidance

(David, https://www.npr.org/2021/11/13/1054711913/progressives-wealth-tax-super-rich-elon-musk-jeff-bezos , 11-13)

ProPublica's report showed how the rich often find a myriad of ways to avoid taxes. The U.S. tax code is full of loopholes, and time and time again, U.S. billionaires have demonstrated how skilled they — and their accountants — are at making use of them. The rich can also relocate to avoid paying higher taxes. Recently, Musk moved to Texas, a state that has no income tax. France is another example of the limits of a wealth tax. After imposing higher taxes on the rich, more than 40,000 millionaires left the country. Because of all this, Dyreng, the Duke professor, sounds a cautionary note about how effective a wealth tax could be. Even if there were the political appetite in congress to pass Wyden's "billionaires tax," or something like it, it's almost certain the super rich would try to find ways to get around it, according to Dyreng. "I have never seen a tax that was not avoided in some way," he says.