How German members of parliament debate wealth taxation on social media

Private wealth in Germany is highly concentrated and often inherited rather than earned. This concentration reinforces unequal distributions of political influence, income, and other capacities linked to wealth. Although public support for stricter taxation is widespread, left-wing parties have so far failed to reintroduce a net wealth tax or close inheritance tax loopholes. We analyze the social media communication from 2017 to 2025 on Facebook, Instagram, and X by German members of parliament and ads by business lobby groups. Specifically, we examine the salience of wealth taxation, argumentation patterns for and against stricter net wealth, inheritance, or gift taxes, and which arguments resonate with users. Our findings indicate that wealth taxation is not a frequent topic among members of parliament but generates higher user engagement compared to other policy issues. Left-wing parties rely on value-based arguments stressing inequality, injustice, and responsibility but rarely present concrete data on inequality or tax exemptions. Conservatives highlight threats to inherited homes, liberals emphasize economic risks, and the far right questions state intervention. We conclude that left-wing communication likely resonates primarily with their own supporters rather than broader audiences. The study contributes to a more holistic description of the political communication of economic inequality.