Should Vermont raise taxes on the rich?

Should Vermont raise taxes on the rich?

From Vermont Edition by Vermont Public

May 4, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the recent attempts to raise taxes on high-income earners in Vermont and features insights from key political figures.

At both the state and federal level , there's growing momentum behind the progressive idea of new taxes on the richest Americans. Democrats in Montpelier recently revived the idea of raising taxes on high-income earners, but the effort was not successful . Vermont Public's Peter Hirschfeld shared details on what was being proposed, why it wasn't able to happen this year and why the issue is sure to bubble up in future legislative sessions. Joining us to discuss both sides were Rep. Edward "Teddy" Waszazak , a Democrat from Barre City who advocated for the tax, and Vermont tax commissioner Bill Shouldice , appointed by Gov. Phil Scott in 2025. We also heard from reporter Chris Lisinski of the CommonWealth Beacon for insight into a wealth tax enacted in Massachusett s. Broadcast live on Monday, May 4, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram .

People in this episode

Host: Peter Hirschfeld

Guests: Rep. Edward "Teddy" Waszazak, Bill Shouldice

Topics covered

  • taxation
  • progressive tax
  • high-income earners
  • Vermont politics
  • wealth tax
  • legislation

Keywords

  • Vermont
  • taxes
  • rich
  • progressive taxation
  • legislation
  • high-income earners
  • wealth tax
  • politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vermont Public

Places: Vermont, Massachusetts

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