In this paper, we compare the economic effects of such an approach to tax reform, relative to the enactment of a pure consumption tax such as the Hall and Rabushka (1983, 1995) Flat Tax. For the former approach, we analyze a stylized version of the GIT, which provides for consumption tax...

The goals of tax policy are to raise revenue in an equitable, efficient, and simple manner. These goals often conflict. A tax system that is equitable may be complicated, while a system that is simple may be unfair or inefficient. Each of these goals may be sacrificed when the tax system is used...

In this chapter we analyze the reform and evolution of consumption taxes in Spain over recent decades, paying particular attention to the new developments stemming from the introduction of the VAT in 1986 and the modifications carried out to excise taxes in order to bring the Spanish tax system...

The aim of this chapter is to explain the most significant events during the lifetime of the personal income tax (PIT) which, since its introduction, has become the form of taxation most widely known by Spanish taxpayers. We will therefore describe its historical origins, analyze its...

This chapter deals with the evolution of tax administration in Spain from the initial stages of the democratic process, way back in the second half of the seventies, up to the present time. Given the relevance of the classical interrelation between the tax reform processes and tax administration...

The fundamental tax reform undertaken in the late 70s by the first democratic governments helped to overcome the antiquated tax regime, kicking off a panoply of other reforms and laying the revenue foundations for the transformation of Spain 's public sector. Indeed, the nature of today's tax...

This Working Paper on the property tax contains an Executive Summary and four chapters. In Chapter One we describe how the Jamaican property tax functions. In Chapter Two we present an analysis of various problems and issues that surround of the property tax. Chapter Three, which was co-authored...

As the governments of countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union continue to grapple with the challenges of transition, many significant policy developments have already taken place over the past six years, developments of interest to policymakers and economists alike. Conditions in...

In 2001 the Russian government introduced a bold reform of its tax system, which included the adoption of a flat-rate income tax. Until then, only a few countries, including the transition countries of Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania , had adopted a flat-rate income tax. This reform has...

Fiscal experts have years proposed a holy trinity of tax reform options for developing countries: broader bases, lower rates, and better administration. The review in this paper of fifty years of experience auggests that what might be called the BBLR approach-- broader bases and lower rates --...