The burden of luxury and the joy of taxes

The July 2008 issue of this magazine was dedicated to “Luxury Economics,” focusing on the “Middle East’s appetite for surprising, exotic and authentic experiences.” A separate article in the same issue did not fail to note the move in the UAE to introduce a value added tax. Does luxury increase “happiness”? And does taxation decrease it? Paradoxically, the answer to both is “no” according to some new views. In a nutshell, luxury, once tried, becomes necessity and taxes can reduce materialism — a common theme in many religions — and help citizens preserve a healthy work/life balance. Let us examine each assertion in turn. Historically, economists have related well-being to the level of incomes while development theories typically stress economic growth as the ultimate objective. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GGC) economies score well on both counts. The recent hike in the international price of oil has been associated with high