Itâs edifying to think that a wealth tax or a solidarity tax on the super-rich could raise revenue for investment in public services. But it wonât. A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) back in 2016 estimated that imposing a French-style wealth tax â applied to assets exceeding â¬1.45 million â on Irelandâs financial elite would net the exchequer here a paltry â¬22 million per annum. Adopting a Swiss-style wealth tax, however, could generate â¬1.3 billion in additional revenue, the ESRI found. But thereâs a sting in the tail. The burden of Swiss wealth taxes, which differ depending on the canton, fall on low and middle-income earners as well as the very wealthy. In the Swiss region of Schywz, for example, a wealth tax is applied to all individuals with assets, including income and property, exceeding â¬49,824.