The Obama administration tipped its hand today – they are planning a new tax of some form on the banking sector. But the details are deliberately left vague – perhaps “not completely decided” would be a better description.
The NYT’s Room for Debate is running some reactions and suggestions. The administration is finally getting a small part of its act together – unfortunately too late to make a difference for the current round of bonuses.
We know there is a G20 process underway looking at ways to measure “excess bank profits” and, with American leadership, this could lead towards a more reasonable tax system for finance. In the meantime, my point is that taxing bonuses – under today’s circumstances – is not as bad as many people argue, particularly as it lets you target the biggest banks.
By Simon Johnson
