Urbanization and Local Taxes – The Case of the Czech Republic Focused on the Infrastructure Charge

The urbanisation is connected with the higher costs of cities for the management, because they are responsible for local infrastructure and services. The legal regulation of local taxes and especially the infrastructure charge in the Czech Republic is not sufficient. The sources for local budgets might be found in the recurrent property tax. There are already instruments connected with the urbanisation. The location rent reflects the fact that the more inhabitants are living in the municipality, the higher are the costs for local transportation systems, education, communal services incl. the infrastructure, public security, healthcare, culture, etc. The local coefficient can be applied for all types of immovable property in the municipality's territory, except for agricultural land, and it might multiply the final immovable property tax by 2, 3, 4, or 5. With regard to the urbanisation and related infrastructure investments, it would be useful if municipalities get the right to apply the local coefficient only at specific parts of the municipality or for specific types of property. Such a recurrent property tax regulation connected with the planning contracts between municipalities and private developers might be an ideal approach in the area of local taxes, infrastructure financing, and urbanisation