Marx vs. Ayn Rand: The French Wealth Tax

In a previous post, I suggested that any country, for example Kiribati, could impose a wealth tax on individuals even if they don't live in that country. France already has a wealth tax which it imposes on its citizens, but why couldn't it be extended to non-citizens? I've tried to do a little on-line research and I can't find anything that prevents it from being applied to persons in other countries even in its current form. I'm certainly not an expert in this field of law, though, and it would take a lot more research than I'm willing or able to do to determine if any changes in law would be needed, or if it's simply a question of the government of France mustering the will to try to apply it to non-residents.

Nothing could be more "un-American" than a country applying its tax to foreigners. The American Revolution was fought in large part over the issue of "taxation without representation" because the British Parliament had imposed taxes on the American colonies but colonists were not allowed to vote for Parliament. So one possible objection to imposing the wealth tax on foreigners could be that they do not have a voice in the government that is imposing the tax. But despite the prominence of "taxation without representation" as a pretext for the American Revolution, the United States doesn't exactly follow the principle that people who are taxed should have a voice in government. Persons with permanent resident status in the U.S. are not citizens and cannot vote but are taxed the same as citizens.

This objection to application of the French wealth tax to foreigners is easily overcome, however, if France were willing to grant citizenship to anyone who pays the tax. France has its share of xenophobes, of course, but it's difficult for me to see any good reason why a country should withhold citizenship from anyone subject to the wealth tax. It kicks in at about US$1 million of net worth so it's not like the country is in danger of being overrun by immigrants who will be a burden to society.

France is the country that produced Thomas Piketty, the economist who has become something of a superstar to those who believe that allowing unchecked wealth accumulation is dangerous and unwise. By seeking to apply its wealth tax to persons outside its borders, that country could take a bold step to ensure that there is no "Galt's Gulch" anywhere on the planet where the uber-wealthy can escape appropriate taxation.