Power to tax an asset? People have the power to not pay or avoid taxes. Smokes are expensive in Jersey or New York so people smuggle cheap smokes in and upwards of 50% of all smokes sold in NY I believe are illegal, one of the northeast states. Greece taxes and people avoid it. Corporations are taxed and many figure out ways to avoid it. http://www.taxjustice.net/cms/upload/pdf/Price_of_Offshore_Revisited_120722.pdf Here is $32 trillion hidden by wealthy who avoided taxes. Unless the government imposes some sort of financial tax such as 1% on every transfer and purchase I don't see it ending.