I often wonder at what point someone becomes rich ? I should imagine that everyone has an opinion on it. It obviously depends on one's dependents, commitments, preferences, priorities etc., and the tax system has to try to satisfy these. No one is entirely happy about the consequences of that, because by definition it can't please all the people all the time and the result is a compromise. It also has to retain some kind of incentive to create effort, and balance that with all the entitlements that have become the norm.....Not an easy thing to do.