Occupy Wall Street is back, and this time their target is high frequency trading. On the second anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement, protesters will be gathering in New York City to demand Congress pass the “Robin Hood Tax.” The Robin Hood Tax, also known as the Financial Speculation (or Transactions) Tax, is an excise tax on the transfer of ownership of certain financial instruments, including bonds, stock, derivatives, and foreign currency exchange. With the proposed tax in place, each time a financial product is traded, a small percentage (less than half of one percent) of the value of the trade is collected in tax.

On April 16, 2013, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison introduced the Inclusive Prosperity Act (H.R. 1579), which proposes the excise tax to strengthen our financial security, reduce market volatility, expand opportunity, and to prevent the shrinking of the middle class. The tax is expected to generate as much as $350 billion. Supporters of the tax include Warren Buffet, David Stockman, Bill Gates, Nancy Pelosi, George Soros, and Paul Volcker.

Over a dozen countries have already implemented a system of financial transaction taxation, including many of the world’s largest economies.  At least eleven European countries have either implemented or will soon implement an FTT.  Additionally, leading Asian financial markets, including China and Singapore, also charge an FTT like tax. As of September 17, the Inclusive Prosperity Act has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.