Wealth tax debate should focus on collectively generated property gains: NUS professor

A NUS Business School professor argues Singapore's wealth tax debate should move beyond inheritance taxes to consider whether property price gains were privately earned or collectively generated. The commentary follows recent parliamentary proposals to tax inherited high-value properties and growing

SINGAPORE: Singapore's wealth tax debate should look beyond inheritance and consider whether property price gains were privately earned or collectively generated, according to a National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School professor.

Writing in a commentary published on Wednesday (Oct 14), Associate Professor Simon Poh of the Department of Accounting said the current focus on taxing inherited high-value properties may be too narrow. He argued that a substantial portion of property appreciation in Singapore is not generated solely by owners' efforts, but by public investments in transport infrastructure, urban renewal, schools, healthcare, security and economic development.

The debate was reignited after Member of Parliament Shawn Loh proposed taxing inherited high-value properties,