This paper presents findings from the first study in the UK to focus on attitudes to an annual wealth tax. It starts by providing a brief review of key literature including recent studies of attitudes to wealth taxes in general and research on the drivers of attitudes to taxation. The paper then describes the mixed methods used in this new study, which aimed to measure and explore overall levels of support for a wealth tax compared with other taxes; arguments for and against a wealth tax; and opinions on the particular design of such a tax. Key findings include: high levels of public support for a net wealth tax compared with other taxes; support for including financial investments and property wealth (after excluding the main home) as the base for the tax but less support for including cash savings, pension wealth and the main home. On balance, there was some preference for the tax to be based on net rather than gross wealth, and for the unit of taxation to be individuals rather than couples or households. The majority of the public supported a threshold of £500,000 for the tax at a rate of at least 1%.

In this paper, we present findings from the first ever study, to our knowledge, to focus in detail on public attitudes to an annual wealth tax. We start with a brief review of relevant recent studies before outlining the mixed methods used, which involved a nationally representative survey of 2,243 members of the general public and four focus groups conducted during the summer of 2020. The study aimed to measure, explore and explain the overall levels of support for a wealth tax compared with other taxes, the arguments for and against a wealth tax, and opinions on the particular design of such a tax. Key findings include high levels of public support for a wealth tax compared with other taxes, and support for the base of the tax to include financial investments and property wealth (after excluding the main home). The most popular rate/threshold combination is for the tax to be levied at a rate of at least 1 per cent over £500,000. Support for the tax appears to be driven by a combination of rational self‐interest and beliefs about fairness but, in particular, the public are keen for the tax to be focused on those with capacity to contribute the most.