Annex A. OECD questionnaire on current and historical net wealth taxes
This questionnaire aims to collect information on the design of net wealth taxes as well as on their rationale and effects. Replies to the questionnaire will be used as input to the OECD Secretariat’s report on Net Wealth Taxes in OECD Countries.
Please note that recurrent taxes on net wealth refer in this questionnaire to national and subnational recurrent taxes on individual net wealth , i.e. taxes on a wide range of movable and immovable property, net of debt. Individual net wealth taxes are reported either under category 4200 (aggregated) or category 4210 (individual) in Revenue Statistics.
All delegates are requested to reply to questions 1 and 2 . The rest of the questionnaire is only intended for countries that currently have or previously had net wealth taxes. Countries that currently have a net wealth tax are asked to provide information on their current net wealth tax. Countries that had a net wealth tax in the past are also requested to provide information on the design of their wealth tax prior to its repeal.
Screening questions:
All delegates are requested to reply to questions 1 and 2.
1. Does your country currently have a recurrent tax on individual net wealth?
Yes
No
2. Did your country have a recurrent tax on individual net wealth between 1965 and 2016?
Yes
No
If you responded yes to either question 1 or 2, please proceed to the following questions.
PART 1. GENERAL INFORMATION AND RATIONALE
3. Name of the tax (in national language and English): ____
4. Year of introduction: ____
5. Year of abolition if the tax was repealed: ____
6. Was the net wealth tax initially introduced as a temporary measure?
Yes
No
7. National tax or local/municipal tax:
National level tax
Local/municipal level tax
National and local/municipal tax
8. Main rationale for introducing the net wealth tax: ____
9. If the net wealth tax is still in force, main rationale for maintaining it: ____
10. If the net wealth tax was repealed, main rationale for repealing it: ____
PART 2. NET WEALTH TAX DESIGN
11. The tax applies on:
An individual basis
A family basis
12. Tax base for residents, please specify if other than worldwide net assets: ___
13. Tax base for non-residents, please specify if other than assets that are physically located within the jurisdiction: ___
14. Taxed assets, please list (e.g. residential property; land; movable property; listed and unlisted shares; corporate and government bonds; cash, etc.):
-
__
-
__
-
etc.
15. Untaxed assets, please specify (e.g. business assets; pension savings; assets held in collective investment vehicles, trusts and foundations; jewellery; artwork; vehicles; intellectual property rights; etc.): ___
16. For business assets, please specify those which are exempt:
Assets directly used in the professional activity of the taxpayer, please specify rules: ___
Shares in a company owned by the taxpayer (and possibly relatives), please specify rules: ___
Other, please specify: ___
17. Valuation rules, please specify valuation rules for all taxable assets:
-
__
-
__
-
etc.
18. Is there an exemption threshold?
No
Yes, based on the value of total net taxable assets, please specify (in national currency): __
Yes, based on taxpayer income, please specify (in national currency): __
19. Tax allowances, please specify:
-
__
-
__
-
etc.
20. Tax credits, please specify:
-
__
-
__
-
etc.
21. Deductibility of debts, please specify deductible and non-deductible debts:
-
Deductible debts: ___
-
Non-deductible debts: ___
22. Tax cap or other limitations on total tax liability, if yes please specify rules: ___
23. Temporary exemption (net wealth tax holiday) for individuals/households who change their tax residency:
Yes, please specify rules: ____
No
24. Were the above rules previously different? If so, please specify the main net wealth tax base changes that were introduced and why ___
25. Please specify applicable tax rates (for local or municipal level taxes, please provide as much information as possible):
26. Were the above tax rates previously different? If so, please specify the main net wealth tax rate changes that were introduced and why___
27. Self-assessment:
Yes
No
28. Tax return:
Separate wealth tax return
Tax return consolidated with income tax return
29. Please specify penalties for late filing, late payment, incorrect statements and non-declarations: ___
30. What are the main challenges faced by the government in administering the net wealth tax? ___
31. Given that the tax administration collects taxpayer information on wealth, is that information used in other tax areas (e.g. asset-testing for income tax purposes)?
Yes, please specify ___
No
PART 3. EFFECTS OF THE NET WEALTH TAX
32. Revenues from the net wealth tax in 2016 (or last available year if the tax was repealed or if 2016 data is not yet available) in national currency [For reference, please see the tax revenues reported by your country in 2015 in Annex A]: ___
33. Estimated revenue loss from net wealth tax expenditures (if available) in national currency: ___
34. Number of individuals/households liable to the net wealth tax in 2016 (or last available year if the tax was repealed): ___
35. Please describe the most common used avoidance and evasion schemes in your country (e.g. avoidance through trusts, holding assets in corporations, avoidance through gifts, avoidance through charitable donations, etc.): ___
36. What are the main rules in place to prevent those schemes and other forms of avoidance/evasion? ___
37. Has the government undertaken an evaluation of the avoidance and evasion effects of the net wealth tax?
Yes
No
38. Has the government undertaken an evaluation of the effects of the net wealth tax on the tax residence decisions of taxpayers (i.e. fiscal expatriation)?
Yes
No
39. Estimations of net wealth tax fraud and fiscal expatriation:
40. Please provide us with any available internal assessments and external studies on wealth tax avoidance/evasion and fiscal expatriation in your country.
41. Has the government undertaken an evaluation of the effects of the net wealth tax on growth?
Yes
No
42. Has the government undertaken an evaluation of the effects of the net wealth tax on the total amount and composition of savings?
Yes
No
43. Has the government undertaken an evaluation of the redistributive effects of the net wealth tax?
Yes
No
44. Please provide us with any available internal assessments and external studies on the efficiency/growth and redistributive effects of the wealth tax.