In light of the UK Coalition Government's announced intention to reform APD (Air Passenger Duty), this article examines the design flaws making APD an inadequate environmental tax. By identifying the misconceived consequences and environmental inefficiencies of this blunt instrument, the need...

This paper discusses major fiscal issues faced by the previously centrally planned economies in their transition to market economies. It focuses on three main topics: (a) the extent to which the budget deficit should be a guide to policy; (b) the reforms that must be carried out in tax...

Along with the official replacing of Business Tax with value-added Tax (VAT) for some business sectors in Shanghai's pilot zone, the issue of VAT reform has attracted widespread attention from the public. This paper will first outline the basic concept of VAT, and then briefly elaborate on the...

We argue the revenue potential from increasing tax rates on capital gains may be substantially greater than previously understood. First, many prior studies focus primarily on short-run taxpayer responses, and so miss revenue from gains that are deferred when rates change. Second, the...

This comment letter addresses Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden’s International Tax Reform Framework Discussion Draft released August 25, 2021 (with Senators Brown and Warner) (the WBW Draft). The comment discusses why U.S. multinationals have competitive advantages compared to...

Following Meade (1978), we reconsider issues in the design of taxes on corporate income. We outline developments in economies and in economic thought over the last thirty years, and investigate how these developments should affect the design of taxes on corporate income. We consider a number of...

This paper reviews the Finnish tax system and the scope for further tax reform. Finland is among the most egalitarian countries in the OECD and a high tax burden is required to finance the associated public spending. Nevertheless, capital and corporate income taxation was substantially and...

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...

Government tax policy has a profound effect on the temporal composition and on the intertemporal evolution of the macro economy. In contemporary terms it must allow non-inflationary financing of the proper functions of government. The main function of a tax system is to raise enough revenue to...

GST as introduced in India being a destination based tax, does not encourage regions to vigorously promote manufacturing and tradable services industries. Being in the midst of its economic transformation, and given the subnational character of most states (regions), it is important that the...