Since the fall of last year, EMU countries have experienced a slowdown in economic activity triggered by a deceleration of exports. The expansion of internal demand has been more or less intact due to low interest rates and higher terms of trade. Consumer confidence has continued to rise and...

This paper describes the practical implementation of hiring vouchers in Germany. According to our proposal, employers receive vouchers for hiring long-term unemployed, low-ability workers. Thereby labor costs are reduced for a limited period of time. The size of the vouchers increases with the...

The gross wage income distributions for different groups of taxpayers in 2004 are used to derive wage income distributions for 20072013. By applying the rules of income taxation, wage income tax revenues are deduced. Given the tax rate structure introduced in 2007, the average tax rates and the...

The income tax rate structure introduced in 2007 was changed in 2009. The income tax rates will be lowered in 2010, too. The effects on the wage income tax revenues and on the incentives to work are analyzed. It turns out that "bracket creep" will remain a problem in Germany.

Die Bruttolohnschichtungen für die einzelnen Steuerklassen gemäß der Lohnsteuerstatistik 1998 werden anhand der Lohnentwicklung und der Entwicklung der Beschäftigtenzahl für die Jahre 2001 bis 2006 fortgeschrieben. Unter Anwendung des gegenwärtigen und des geplanten Steuerrechts wird das...

For many years there have been political intentions to harmonize tax rates in Europe. As to capital income taxation, competition is often seen to be especially harmful. Facing a high degree of international capital mobility, every country is expected to reduce its tax rate in order to attract...

The paper includes data on the taxation of wage income (labor income tax and contributions to social security) and capital income in the Federal Republic of Germany. Average tax rates and marginal tax rates for typical wage income earners are shown for the 1977-1999 period; average tax rates are...

The gross wage income distributions for different groups of taxpayers in 1995 are used to derive income distributions for 2000–2003. By applying alternative rules of taxation, revenues according to different tax rate structures are deduced. When introducing the tax rate structures proposed by...