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A problem associated with inflation differentials in monetary unions is that the “crowding-in” effect of lower real interest rates associated with high inflation will initially outweigh the loss of competitiveness (crowding out). The crowding-in effect may produce volatility in house prices, especially if tax regimes favour the occurrence of bubbles. This paper shows that this is the case notably in the smaller countries of the euro area, and this could explain the persistence of inflation differentials in the area to some extent ...
Against a backdrop of the widening income distribution in most countries, OECD governments need to formulate policies that support sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Tax policies play a crucial role in this endeavour. Both tax theory and mounting empirical evidence suggest that many countries could achieve both higher and more broadly shared income growth. Many countries, however, seem hesitant to fundamentally restructure their tax systems to achieve higher and more inclusive growth. This reluctance begs a key question: Why forego tax policy reforms that hold the obvious promise of win-win outcomes of both higher and more inclusive growth? To offer some concrete answers to this question, this paper reports the findings of a synthesis of cross-country empirical work on the ranking (in terms of efficiency and distributional impact) of major tax instruments on the one hand, and, on the other, country-specific tax policy assessments reported in several dozen OECD Economic Surveys since 2008. The paper identifies a wide range of factors, some common to many countries and some country-specific, that prevent governments from adopting tax structures more favourable to inclusive growth. These include political economy forces, legal obstacles, administrative constraints, and intergovernmental fiscal arrangements.
This paper presents revised tax ratios based on more realistic assumptions than those used in a previous study applying the same approach (based on tax revenue statistics and national accounts data) to measuring the effective tax burden. Although the levels of the revised tax ratios are sometimes quite different from those previously found, the two data sets are generally highly correlated. The paper also presents a sensitivity analysis of relaxing some remaining unrealistic assumptions for countries and periods where that is possible. It is found that this often has a large effect on the tax ratios, especially for capital, and the two data sets are sometimes no longer highly correlated. This highlights the need to use these ratios in conjunction with other indicators, such as average effective tax rates, to corroborate the story they tell.
Belgium has a heavy tax burden which has mainly fallen on labour as international tax competition has limited the scope to which this burden could be imposed on capital. This has raised concerns about possible adverse labour market impacts from such high tax rates. In view of these concerns, the government has made substantial cuts in employers’ social security contributions, has reduced employees’ social security contributions and, in the context of a personal income tax reform, has introduced an earned income tax credit. All of these measures have been focused on low-income earners, maximising their favourable labour-market effects by increasing the likelihood that they produce lasting reductions in labour costs and/or reductions in benefit replacement rates. Further reductions in labourincome taxation targeted on low-income earners should be made as budget room becomes available. Narrowing the range of goods and services that are not subject to VAT would help to make more budget ...
This paper examines the question of tax reform in OECD countries. First, the reasons for tax reform are reviewed. These include economic efficiency arguments as well as concerns about equity which are often a major consideration. Next, the paper considers the many factors which constrain governments in their effort to reform the tax system (such as inherent conflicts between efficiency and equity, and the non-revenue objectives of taxation), and how those constraints might be reduced. Finally, the paper reviews the extent of tax reform in OECD countries, noting some of the remaining problems ...
There have been a number of tax reforms in Switzerland in recent years aimed at enhancing economic efficiency and equity. This paper sets these reforms in the context of the forces shaping tax policy in Switzerland and the main features of the Swiss tax system and suggests areas where further reforms could be beneficial. These include applying more equal tax treatment to different forms of savings, moving to a flat-rate tax on corporate profits in all cantons and making greater use of environmental taxes. It is recognised that Switzerland’s highly decentralised federal structure and system of direct democracy can slow reforms, although these features also increase the legitimacy of reforms, reducing the risk of policy reversals ...
The variety of channels through which devaluation of the exchange rate impacts on real tax receipts, calls for empirical clarification. This paper should be seen as a first attempt towards empirical evidence. It establishes the causal relationships between the real exchange rate and real tax receipts. A causality test rejects the hypothesis of unidirectional causality running from taxes to the exchange rate. The causal inferences from the Sims test allow to use the real exchange rate as an exogenous determinant in a simple simultaneous equation model. The model endogenises tax yields and tax bases to allow for a test of the significance and relevance of the exchange rate to explain variations in real tax receipts. An important insight results from the distinction of the direct (price) effect and indirect (output) effect of changes in the real exchange rate on tax receipts. A double-logarithmic version of the model with (seasonally adjusted) quarterly data is estimated for Korea and ...
The tax-to-GDP ratio rose steadily in most EU countries up to the late 1990s, largely reflecting a sustained expansion of public sector commitments to welfare provision. Since the late 1990s, many EU countries have cut tax rates. However, the tax burden in the EU area remains much higher than in most other economies. The tax mix is also different, with high tax wedges on labour and a stronger reliance on consumption and environmentally-related taxes. Recent measures targeted at lowering the tax burden on labour, in particular at the lower end of the income scale, have had promising results in terms of employment growth, showing how tax design is an important influence on countries’ performances. While there is not much room for cutting taxes significantly without downsizing public spending, further rebalancing the tax burden away from labour could contribute to better employment performance. Greater reliance on property taxes, which are low by international standards, could be ...
This paper provides, for all OECD countries, an estimate of the net tax cost per currency unit of contribution to a tax-favoured retirement savings plan, using a present-value methodology. The latter takes into account the future flows of revenues foregone on accrued income and of revenues collected on benefit withdrawals corresponding to a unit contribution made in a given year. The net tax cost is first calculated for nine (five-year) age groups, which have different relative income levels and investment time horizons, and is then averaged across age groups. In order to take into consideration the relevant country-specific features of savings taxation, the paper also provides an overview of the tax treatment of private pension arrangements and alternative savings vehicles. The results indicate that the size of tax subsidy varies significantly across countries, ranging from nearly 40 cents per unit of contribution (Czech Republic) to around zero (Mexico, New Zealand). Over half of ...
The COVID-19 health crisis has put unprecedented strains on the ability of both governments and taxpayers to carry out normal activities. Cross-border withholding tax relief procedures, frequently reliant on paper-based processes, are one area that has been particularly affected, creating challenges for taxpayers, financial institutions and tax administrations alike. This document contains administrative measures that source and residence jurisdictions may consider adopting to manage withholding tax relief procedures in a coordinated manner.
Tax administrations around the globe are taking on new responsibilities to support wider government actions to help address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These responsibilities often go beyond the functions normally provided by tax administrations and can present a number of challenges as well as opportunities for the future, including around increased agility and improved whole of government working. This document, produced by the OECD Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) Secretariat in collaboration with the FTA Enterprise Risk Management Community of Interest, sets out some considerations that tax administrations may wish to take into account in addressing aspects of these challenges as well providing a number of examples of assistance provided by different tax administrations.
The Covid-19 emergency will affect the lives of many people around the globe. Its potential duration, combined with the impact on tax administration staff and taxpayers will bring unique challenges in managing the many different elements involved in ensuring continuity of critical activities and the safety of staff and customers. The suggestions in this paper are not recommendations but are intended to assist tax administrations globally in their consideration of measures to help ensure delivery of their core functions and services during a period of possibly severe capacity constraints.
This reference document provides an overview of business continuity measures that tax administrations may wish to consider in the context of the current pandemic. This is a joint document of the OECD Forum on Tax Administration, the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations (CIAT) and the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations (IOTA). It takes account of examples and considerations provided by tax administrations in response to a survey sent by the three organisations to their members.