Should the government impose a special "windfall tax" on the excess profits of commercial banks?

As central banks raised interest rates to combat inflation, commercial banks recorded historic profits by rapidly increasing loan rates while keeping deposit rates near zero. Proponents argue this "widening spread" is unearned income that should be taxed to fund public services. Opponents warn that ad-hoc taxation creates uncertainty that scares off investors and weakens the financial sector against future shocks.