the country results for the decade from the mid s to the mid s demonstrate that it is possible for taxbenefit systems to be quite effective at stabilising inequality even during periods of rapidly growing marketincome disparities the extent of inequality cushioning was strongest in canada denmark finland and sweden where trends towards more extensive government redistribution offset more than of the rise in marketincome inequality up until the mid s for instance in finland greater equalisation through taxes and benefits offset more than three quarters of the increase in marketincome inequality up until but by this has dropped to