The real medicine
Source: Newsweek (adapted)
Oct 17^th 2005

People who survive a heart attack often describe it as a wake-up call. But for a 61-year old executive I met recently, it was more than that. This man was in the midst of a divorce when he was stricken last spring, and he had fallen out of touch with friends and family members. The executive's doctor, unaware of the strife in his life, counseled him to change his diet, start exercising and quit smoking. He also prescribed drugs to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It was sound advice, but in combing the medical literature, the patient discovered that he needed to do more. Studies suggested that his risk of dying within six months would be four times greater if he remained depressed and lonely. So he joined a support group and reordered his priorities, placing relationships at the top of the list instead of the bottom. His health has improved steadily since then, and so has his outlook on life. In fact he now describes his heart attack as the best thing that ever happened to him. "Yes, my arteries are more open," he says. "But even more important, I'm more open."

The real medicine
Source: Newsweek (adapted)
Oct 17^th 2005

According to the text, the executive

Flight of the French
Source: Newsweek (adapted)
Sept 26^th/Oct 3^rd 2005

The Belgians call them "fiscal refugees", but these refugees wear Chanel. They are runaways from high taxes in France. Officially, France has lost, on average, one millionaire or billionaire tax payer per day for tax reasons since 1997, when the government started trying to track capital flight. Privately, economists say the number is much higher. "The statistic is stupid," holds French economist Nicolas Baverez. "It's as if, to count contraband, you only counted what people declared at the border."

While much of Europe has revised its tax codes, France's fiscal inertia is virtually begging its rich to leave. Holding dear its commitment to égalité and fraternité, France has bucked the trend in the European Union, where most member states have dropped the wealth tax since the mid-1990s. France went the opposite way in 1997 by abolishing a cap that limited the wealth-tax bill, which kicks in at incomes over 720,000 euros to 85% of a taxpayer's income. The result: some pay more taxes than they earn in income.

Flight of the French
Source: Newsweek (adapted)
Sept 26^th/Oct 3^rd 2005

The Belgians call them "fiscal refugees", but these refugees wear Chanel. They are runaways from high taxes in France. Officially, France has lost, on average, one millionaire or billionaire tax payer per day for tax reasons since 1997, when the government started trying to track capital flight. Privately, economists say the number is much higher. "The statistic is stupid," holds French economist Nicolas Baverez. "It's as if, to count contraband, you only counted what people declared at the border."

While much of Europe has revised its tax codes, France's fiscal inertia is virtually begging its rich to leave. Holding dear its commitment to égalité and fraternité, France has bucked the trend in the European Union, where most member states have dropped the wealth tax since the mid-1990s. France went the opposite way in 1997 by abolishing a cap that limited the wealth-tax bill, which kicks in at incomes over 720,000 euros to 85% of a taxpayer's income. The result: some pay more taxes than they earn in income.

Flight of the French
Source: Newsweek (adapted)
Sept 26^th/Oct 3^rd 2005

The Belgians call them "fiscal refugees", but these refugees wear Chanel. They are runaways from high taxes in France. Officially, France has lost, on average, one millionaire or billionaire tax payer per day for tax reasons since 1997, when the government started trying to track capital flight. Privately, economists say the number is much higher. "The statistic is stupid," holds French economist Nicolas Baverez. "It's as if, to count contraband, you only counted what people declared at the border."

While much of Europe has revised its tax codes, France's fiscal inertia is virtually begging its rich to leave. Holding dear its commitment to égalité and fraternité, France has bucked the trend in the European Union, where most member states have dropped the wealth tax since the mid-1990s. France went the opposite way in 1997 by abolishing a cap that limited the wealth-tax bill, which kicks in at incomes over 720,000 euros to 85% of a taxpayer's income. The result: some pay more taxes than they earn in income.

A dip in the middle
Source: The Economist (adapted)
Sep 8^th 2005

Income tax has been paid in Britain for more han two centuries. First introduced by William Pitt the Younger to fi nance the war against Napoleonic France, it is the Treasury´s biggest source of revenue, raising 30% of tax receipts. It arouses strong political emotions, regarded as fair by some because it makes the rich pay a bigger share of their income than the poor, but unfair by others because it penalizes enterprise and hard work.

During the past 30 years, income tax has been subject to sweeping changes, notably the cut in the top rate from 98% to 40% under Margaret Thatcher between 1979 and 1988. Now another Conservative politician, George Osborne, is fl oating a radical reform to match that earlier exploit. The shadow chancellor announced on September 7^th that he was setting up a commission to explore the possible introduction of a fl at income tax in Britain.

Introducing a fl at income tax into Britain would involve two main changes. At present, there are three marginal tax rates. These three rates would be replaced by a single rate, which would be considerably lower than the current top rate. At the same time there would be an increase in the tax-free personal allowance, currently worth 4,895 pounds.

A dip in the middle
Source: The Economist (adapted)
Sep 8^th 2005

Income tax has been paid in Britain for more han two centuries. First introduced by William Pitt the Younger to fi nance the war against Napoleonic France, it is the Treasury´s biggest source of revenue, raising 30% of tax receipts. It arouses strong political emotions, regarded as fair by some because it makes the rich pay a bigger share of their income than the poor, but unfair by others because it penalizes enterprise and hard work.

During the past 30 years, income tax has been subject to sweeping changes, notably the cut in the top rate from 98% to 40% under Margaret Thatcher between 1979 and 1988. Now another Conservative politician, George Osborne, is fl oating a radical reform to match that earlier exploit. The shadow chancellor announced on September 7^th that he was setting up a commission to explore the possible introduction of a fl at income tax in Britain.

Introducing a fl at income tax into Britain would involve two main changes. At present, there are three marginal tax rates. These three rates would be replaced by a single rate, which would be considerably lower than the current top rate. At the same time there would be an increase in the tax-free personal allowance, currently worth 4,895 pounds.

A dip in the middle
Source: The Economist (adapted)
Sep 8^th 2005

Income tax has been paid in Britain for more han two centuries. First introduced by William Pitt the Younger to fi nance the war against Napoleonic France, it is the Treasury´s biggest source of revenue, raising 30% of tax receipts. It arouses strong political emotions, regarded as fair by some because it makes the rich pay a bigger share of their income than the poor, but unfair by others because it penalizes enterprise and hard work.

During the past 30 years, income tax has been subject to sweeping changes, notably the cut in the top rate from 98% to 40% under Margaret Thatcher between 1979 and 1988. Now another Conservative politician, George Osborne, is fl oating a radical reform to match that earlier exploit. The shadow chancellor announced on September 7^th that he was setting up a commission to explore the possible introduction of a fl at income tax in Britain.

Introducing a fl at income tax into Britain would involve two main changes. At present, there are three marginal tax rates. These three rates would be replaced by a single rate, which would be considerably lower than the current top rate. At the same time there would be an increase in the tax-free personal allowance, currently worth 4,895 pounds.

A dip in the middle
Source: The Economist (adapted)
Sep 8^th 2005

Income tax has been paid in Britain for more than two centuries. First introduced by William Pitt the Younger to fi nance the war against Napoleonic France, it is the Treasury's biggest source of revenue, raising 30% of tax receipts. It arouses strong political emotions, regarded as fair by some because it makes the rich pay a bigger share of their income than the poor, but unfair by others because it penalizes enterprise and hard work.

During the past 30 years, income tax has been subject to sweeping changes, notably the cut in the top rate from 98% to 40% under Margaret Thatcher between 1979 and 1988. Now another Conservative politician, George Osborne, is fl oating a radical reform to match that earlier exploit. The shadow chancellor announced on September 7^th that he was setting up a commission to explore the possible introduction of a fl at income tax in Britain.

Introducing a fl at income tax into Britain would involve two main changes. At present, there are three marginal tax rates. These three rates would be replaced by a single rate, which would be considerably lower than the current top rate. At the same time there would be an increase in the tax-free personal allowance, currently worth 4,895 pounds.