EU Wealth Taxation Study Covers Net, Capital, Exit Taxes
Summary
The European Commission has published a two-volume study on wealth taxation commissioned in 2024 to support informed policy debate. Volume 1 surveys wealth-related tax regimes across EU Member States, while Volume 2 provides case studies from Austria, France, Germany, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and Colombia. The study finds that existing wealth taxes have not been major revenue sources due to tax gaps from reliefs, exemptions, and inadequate compliance. The analysis highlights the importance of effective exchange of information on beneficial owners and real estate, as well as tax administration digitalisation.
What changed
The European Commission released a comprehensive study on wealth taxation comprising two volumes. Volume 1 surveys academic literature and maps wealth-related tax regimes in EU Member States across five categories, identifying areas requiring additional analysis. Volume 2 provides in-depth case studies from 4 EU countries (Austria, France, Germany, Spain) and 3 non-EU countries (Norway, Switzerland, Colombia).
The study has implications for policymakers and tax authorities considering wealth tax reforms. It suggests that tax design and taxpayer responses significantly influence outcomes for revenue and equity promotion. The findings point to tax gaps caused by reliefs, exemptions, and compliance issues as explanations for limited revenue generation. The Commission highlights the importance of beneficial ownership information exchange, real estate registration, third-party reporting, and tax administration digitalisation for effective wealth taxation.
What to do next
- Monitor for updates on wealth taxation policy developments
Archived snapshot
Apr 15, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Against the backdrop of global discussions in international fora such as the OECD, the G20 and the UN, this study was commissioned in 2024 to support an informed debate. It consists of two volumes. The first volume provides a comprehensive overview across five categories of taxes, surveying academic literature in both EU and non-EU countries and mapping the existing wealth-related tax regimes in EU Member States.
This helped to identify areas of consensus in the research as well as areas which require additional analysis to better understand the consequences of certain taxes. For example, while there is some evidence of the effects of net wealth taxes and inheritance and gift taxes on intranational mobility of individuals, there is limited evidence with regards to international mobility of ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
The second volume is structured around case studies from countries which currently have or have had a wealth tax, to better understand the overall implications of these. The study includes an in-depth analysis of 4 Member States (Austria, France, Germany, Spain) and 3 non- EU countries (Norway, Switzerland, Colombia).
The analysis shows how the outcome of these taxes, both in terms of revenue and in promoting both horizontal and vertical equity, is strongly influenced by tax design and taxpayers’ responses. In practice, the wealth taxes examined have not been a major source of revenue and the study points to tax gaps – due to tax reliefs, exemptions or inadequate compliance - as an explanatory factor. Periodical publication of tax gaps may incentivise voluntary compliances.
The study helps advance the technical understanding of the complexities of wealth-related taxes. Furthermore, and consistent with previous Commission analysis, the study highlights the importance of an effective exchange of information on beneficial owners, on real estate and asset registration. The study also highlights the importance of institutional factors, such as third-party reporting or the digitalisation of tax administrations.
Report
- Wealth taxation, including net wealth, capital and exit taxes Volume 1
- Wealth taxation, including net wealth, capital and exit taxes Volume 2
- Wealth taxation, including net wealth, capital and exit taxes Executive summary
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Details
Publication date 15 April 2026 Author Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union
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