TOP’s UBI has generally been framed as being financed through a mix of tax reform, especially a land tax, higher income-tax rates, and an asset tax rather than by borrowing or a simple standalone welfare increase. In recent reporting, the party’s latest version is described as funding a universal income with a land tax plus income-tax rises, while earlier versions also included a flat tax and an asset-tax approach.

How the funding works

  • Land tax: This is the main funding source in the newer proposal, aimed at capturing some of the value of land and helping reduce speculative pressure on housing.
  • Higher income tax: TOP’s plan also relies on raising income-tax revenue to cover a large universal payment.
  • Asset tax / wealth-style tax: Earlier TOP UBI proposals used an asset tax to bridge the funding gap and “make up the difference” in the costing.
  • Welfare replacement and restructuring: The UBI is designed to replace or offset parts of the current welfare system, which reduces the net fiscal cost compared with paying everyone on top of existing benefits.

Why this is controversial

A big issue is scale: the proposed universal payment is very expensive, so critics say it would need very large tax increases or major cuts elsewhere. Supporters argue that because everyone receives the payment, the system becomes simpler and some existing spending can be folded into it.

Recent framing

The latest commentary says TOP is now leaning more heavily on a land tax plus income-tax changes than on the older flat-tax-and-asset-tax model. That makes the policy sound less like a pure UBI giveaway and more like a broader tax-and-welfare reset.

Bottom line

In plain terms, TOP’s UBI is supposed to be paid for by taxing land and income more, with some versions also adding an asset tax and replacing parts of current welfare spending.