OECD Economic Surveys: Denmark 2008
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OECD Economic Surveys: Denmark 2008

OECD's periodic survey of the Danish economy.  After examining some of the key challenges faced by Denmark, the survey looks in more detail at the fiscal strategy; promoting employment and inclusiveness; tax reform, hours worked and growth; health care; and pension savings and capital taxation.
Publication Date :
19 Feb 2008
DOI :
10.1787/eco_surveys-dnk-2008-en
 
Chapter
 

Tax reform, hours worked and growth You do not have access to this content

Authors:
OECD
Pages :
109–122
DOI :
10.1787/eco_surveys-dnk-2008-6-en

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The new medium-term fiscal strategy requires that average hours worked are kept constant in a context where demographic changes would imply a 2% decline towards 2015. Tax reform could make a significant contribution to achieving this objective, provided that the cuts focus on areas where they could reduce distortions the most and that they are appropriately financed. This chapter analyses the relative merits of the enlarged in-work tax credit introduced in 2008 and the higher threshold for the middle tax to be introduced from 2009. It also presents the results of a new OECD study on hours worked. Finally, it discusses the long-run prospects of maintaining a system where four out of ten full-time employed face a marginal tax wedge of more than 70% resulting from contributions plus income and consumption taxes combined.
Also available in: French