In this volume, a wide range of leading policy makers and practitioners reflect on the aims and objectives of monetary policy and on what it can achieve, The contributors include: * Tony Blair * Sir Samuel Brittan * Gordon Brown * Kenneth Clarke * Eddie George * Geoffrey Howe * Nigel Lawson * Peter Liley * Gordon Richardson * Lionel Robbins * Jonathon Sacks * Hans Tietmeyer. Policy Makers on Policy represents twenty five years of monetary policy. This topical collection brings together major politicians and thinkers, and will be of great interest to anyone concerned with contemporary policy-making, economics or politics.

China and the ASEAN region have risen rapidly to a position of immense economic significance in the global economy. Academics, policy makers and businesses are all keen to understand more about taxation in China and ASEAN, and this work seeks to address this key issue by providing a comprehensive overview of the many often mentioned but little understood challenges of doing business in the region. Traversing a wide range of regional issues and jurisdictions, topics covered include the role of DTAs in regional integration, the impact of social institutions on tax, corruption and its causes, economic development and taxation and the use of education in developing systems. Case studies are taken from countries such as China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Drawing on the results of these discussions, the book also sheds light on the question of whether different taxing institutions are needed in the region. Gathering together a cross-disciplinary group of eminent scholars, this work will be of great interest to all students and scholars of Asian economics, Asian finance and taxation in general.

This is a third edition of a successful textbook that provides a contemporary account of how social services in the UK are paid for. The new edition brings the textbook up-to-date with its fast-moving subject area, explaining the finance of human services - health care, education, housing, social security a nd social care-through a review of the economic literature. It also gives an account of how the cash to pay for the services actually reaches schools, hospitals and social service departments, right from the start of the process, examining how government raises taxes, through to allocation of the funds. Both comprehensive and expertly written, this textbook will continue to feature as key reading for a variety of Social and Policy related courses.

The European Union (EU) has reached crisis point. Populist and Nativist forces are militating against years of austerity economics, distant elites, and a rising tide of migration. Despite the EU's shortcomings, this book seeks to determine the future of the EU, outlining how the institution can learn lessons from the elements that have plunged much of Europe into social, economic and political turmoil. This book argues for reform not revolution. By interviewing politicians, economists, representatives of national bodies and EU citizens, this book provides unique insights never before disclosed and makes a major contribution to current debates on the future of the EU and the Eurozone.

Provides readers with a single repository covering the current state of knowledge, debates and relevant literature in the field. Brings together a wide range of eminent scholars from a variety of disciplines and a number of different countries, and in so doing, provides a useful resource for scholars of charity and philanthropy taxation. Includes contributions from a wide disciplinary base, thus the topic is explored in all its dimensions.

This collection brings together legal scholars, canonists and political scientists to focus on the issue of public funding in support of religious activities and institutions in Europe. The study begins by revolving around the various mechanisms put in place by the domestic legal systems, as well as those resulting from the European law of human rights and the law of the European Union. It then goes on to look at state support and particular religious groups. The presentation of European and national law is supplemented by theoretical and interdisciplinary contributions, with the main focus being to bring into discussion and map the relationship between the funding of religions and the economy and to infer from it an attempt at a systematic examination or theorization of such funding. This collection is essential reading for those studying Law and Religion, with particular focus on the countries of the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Turkey. The views expressed during the execution of the RELIGARE project, in whatever form and or by whatever medium, are the sole responsibility of the authors. The European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Does the European Union need closer fiscal integration, and in particular a stronger fiscal centre, to become more resilient to economic shocks? This book looks at the experience of 13 federal states to help inform the heated debate on this issue. It analyses in detail their practices in devolving responsibilities from the subnational to the central level, compares them to those of the European Union, and draws lessons for a possible future fiscal union in Europe.

More specifically, this book tries to answer three sets of questions: What is the role of centralized fiscal policies in federations, and hence the size, features and functions of the central budget? What institutional arrangements are used to coordinate fiscal policy between the federal and subnational levels? What are the links between federal and subnational debt, and how have subnational financing crises been handled, when they occurred? These policy questions are critical in many federations, and central to the current discussions about future paths for the European Union.

This book brings to the table new, practical insights through a systematic and comprehensive comparison of the EU fiscal framework with that of federal states. It also departs from the decentralization perspective that has been prominent in the literature by focusing on the role of the centre (which responsibilities are centralized at the federal level and how they are handled, rather than which functions belong to the local level). Such an approach is particularly relevant for the European Union, where a fiscal union would imply granting new powers to the centre.

Often described as complex, opaque and unfair, the EU budget financing system is an "unfinished journey." One of the most critical issues is that EU revenue, drawn from the cashbox of national taxation, remains impalpable to the general public. The nature of the EU as a union of states and their nationals makes the visibility of EU revenue unavoidable. The political sustainability of a move that would put the legitimacy of EU revenue at the forefront of public discussion will depend on the European Commission's ability to show that EU funds can achieve results that are truly beyond member states' reach. The value-added tax (VAT) is a natural choice for funding the EU budget, through a dedicated EU VAT rate as part of the national VAT and designed as such in fiscal receipts, whose use as a means for raising EU citizens' awareness could be encouraged already in the current arrangements.

Scholarly research on taxation is increasingly preoccupied with its global implications. This volume collects the most important and influential recent research on international aspects of taxation. The book offers empirical estimates of the effects of taxation on foreign direct investment, international borrowing, and other forms of tax avoidance. It further focuses on classic studies of tax competition and the latest research on the characteristics of desirable tax policies in open economies. This authoritative collection of articles offers a comprehensive survey of international tax issues, one that is accessible to newcomers to the field but is also of considerable value to seasoned tax professionals.

There are many practical textbooks explaining how taxation is applied and calculated but few ever deal thoroughly with the theory behind the practice. This book concisely addresses the principles and theories behind taxation in an accessible and internationally relevant way. It encourages readers to think through and develop an understanding of why taxation is imposed, the different means by which it is imposed and the nature of the problems inherent in this imposition. It addresses background issues, fundamental principles and emerging topics such as: the philosophy and history of taxation; types of taxation; and international issues, including double taxation treaties, residence and transfer prices. This text is essential reading for students of taxation and provides a valuable introduction for students of business, finance and accounting.

There are many practical textbooks explaining how taxation is applied and calculated but few ever deal thoroughly with the theory behind the practice. This book concisely addresses the principles and theories behind taxation in an accessible and internationally relevant way. It encourages readers to think through and develop an understanding of why taxation is imposed, the different means by which it is imposed and the nature of the problems inherent in this imposition. It addresses background issues, fundamental principles and emerging topics such as: the philosophy and history of taxation; types of taxation; and international issues, including double taxation treaties, residence and transfer prices. This text is essential reading for students of taxation and provides a valuable introduction for students of business, finance and accounting.

The tax system is one of the instruments said to be available to translate development policy objectives into practice. The wide-ranging papers collected together in this volume, first published in 1978, explore different aspects of the link between national development objectives and the tax system. Attention is particularly focused on traditional aims such as growth, fair distribution and economic stabilisation and development. Articles written by distinguished experts in the fields of public finance and economic development clarify the concepts of taxable capacity and tax effort, and examine the connections between growth and changes within the tax system.

Is a tax amnesty a good tax policy? To address this question, this book examines whether a typical state tax amnesty is likely to generate substantial short term tax revenues without a corresponding significant negative effect on long run tax compliance. Although U.S. states have several motivations for implementing tax amnesties, the underlying objective boils down to raising tax revenues, either through the taxes collected immediately or through additions of new tax payers to the tax rolls and through an enlarged tax base. Are state tax amnesties successful in achieving this basic objective (i.e. bringing revenues to the state treasury that would not otherwise be collected)? This book revisits this critical question, given the significant fiscal crisis that many state governments have confronted since the turn of the twenty-first century.

This book explores public budgeting in India. As government finances play an important role in the social and economic development of a nation, it focuses on public budgeting in the context of India. The respective chapters not only discuss the underlying principles of budgeting, but also address the practical issues related to the government's financial operations and their macro-economic implications. Recently there has been considerable debate surrounding the size of government, with the neo-liberal framework advocating a very limited governmental role. This book provides comprehensive information on the practical aspects of public budgeting with regard to how governments raise revenues, how they are spent, the nature of public services provided, and their implications for the social and economic development of the country against the backdrop of public budgeting theory. The topics covered include the constitutional fiscal framework; theories, structure and issues related to budgets; mechanisms of budget construction, budget execution, public budgeting and performance assessment; government accounting; and financial accountability.

This insightful book examines the necessary conditions for the successful initiation and consolidation of unpopular economic reforms. Drawing on the burgeoning literature in the area of policy reform, it features a comparative analysis of fiscal reform in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic at different stages of the post-communist transformation. This analysis demonstrates that a significant number of the national differences in fiscal reform can be attributed to differences in political constraints. It also reveals that these very constraints change in the course of transformation and have become increasingly similar to the 'standard' restrictions which exist in the traditional EU and OECD countries. This in-depth analysis of the changing role of political determinants in post-communist fiscal reform will strongly appeal to economists and political scientists interested in the political economy of policy reform, post-communist economic transformation and the role of international organizations (IMF, EU) in shaping domestic policy-making. Policy analysts interested in fiscal reform in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic will also find much to interest them in this book.

"Sensible Tax Reform Simple, Just and Effective" ("STR") offers a truly revolutionary approach to tax reform.
-Businesses will be untaxed. -Social Security and Medicare will receive much stronger financial backing.-Most individuals will no longer pay any income taxes. -Estates will no longer be taxed. -A simple broad-based federal consumption tax will be introduced as the foundation of our tax system. -The consumption tax will apply to most expenditures by individuals but will provide critical buffers to ease the impact upon healthcare, housing, transportation, and higher education. -STR" will replace the existing tax mess we all hate with a simple, just, and economically dynamic tax system that will reinvigorate American businesses, greatly increase the real income and purchasing power of most Americans, and stabilize the finances of the federal government."

"Sensible Tax Reform Simple, Just and Effective" ("STR") offers a truly revolutionary approach to tax reform.
-Businesses will be untaxed. -Social Security and Medicare will receive much stronger financial backing.-Most individuals will no longer pay any income taxes. -Estates will no longer be taxed. -A simple broad-based federal consumption tax will be introduced as the foundation of our tax system. -The consumption tax will apply to most expenditures by individuals but will provide critical buffers to ease the impact upon healthcare, housing, transportation, and higher education. -STR" will replace the existing tax mess we all hate with a simple, just, and economically dynamic tax system that will reinvigorate American businesses, greatly increase the real income and purchasing power of most Americans, and stabilize the finances of the federal government."

With all levels of governments currently, and for the foreseeable future, under significant fiscal stress, any new transit funding mechanism is to be welcomed. Value capture (VC) is one such mechanism, which involves the identification and capture of a public infrastructure-led increase in property value. This book reviews four major VC mechanisms: joint development projects; special assessment districts; impact fees; and tax increment financing; all of which are used to fund transit in the United States. Through the study of prominent examples of these VC mechanisms from across the US, this book evaluates their performance focusing on aspects such as equity, revenue-generating potential, stakeholder support, and the legal and policy environment. It also conducts a comparative assessment of VC mechanisms to help policy makers and practitioners to choose one, or a combination of VC mechanisms. Although the book focuses on the US, the use of the VC mechanisms and the urgent need for additional revenue to fund public transportation are world-wide concerns. Therefore, an overview of the VC mechanisms in use internationally is also provided.

"Managing the Fiscal Metropolis: The Financial Policies, Practices, and Health of Suburban Municipalities" is an important book. This first comprehensive analysis of the financial condition, management, and policy making of local governments in a metropolitan region offers local governments currently dealing with the Great Recession a better understanding of what affects them financially and how to operate with less revenue.

Hendrick's groundbreaking study covers 264 Chicago suburban municipalities from the late 1990s to the present. In it she identifies and describes the primary factors and events that affect municipal financial decisions and financial conditions, explores the strategies these governments use to manage financial conditions and solve financial problems, and looks at the impact of contextual factors and stresses on government financial decisions. "Managing the Fiscal Metropolis" offers new evidence about the role of contextual factors -- including other local governments -- in the financial condition of municipalities and how municipal financial decisions and practices alter these effects. The wide economic and social diversity of the municipalities studied make its findings relevant on a national scale.

This book talks about the past realities, evolving roles and future directions of sovereign wealth fund (SWF) managers in these areas: Investment behavior of SWF managers up to this point due to their massive size: How sovereign wealth funds may behave differently from commercial investment houses managing comparable amounts of assets The evolving role of these SWF managers as "investors of last resort" during the Financial Crisis, and whether there are better ways to understand their investing behavior given that they can destabilize entire market segments Future market scenarios given the likely roles SWF managers going forward, when they may be the only type of entities available with sufficient balance sheets to offer a credible solution to the underlying cause of the Financial Crisis, which is global imbalance. Analyses in this book were developed by working with real-life portfolios of comparable size, making them realistic and useful for investors, allocators as well as policymakers to understand sovereign wealth investments as well as their investment and policy implications.

America is currently involved in one of the worst economic crises of modern times. As alarm increases over how the government will balance the budget, handle the debt, and maintain prosperity for the future, the minutia of debts and deficits remains incomprehensible to many. Why is it so hard to find ways to resolve the fiscal crisis? This brief and intelligible book is a guide to understanding both the difficulties involved in managing the federal budget and why the on-going fiscal crisis is so significant for America's future. In order to introduce the reader to the basic composition of federal spending and to the ways that the government raises revenue, Hudson begins his guide with a "map" clarifying how to navigate the federal budget. He defines basic financial vocabulary and outlines concepts by using clear charts and diagrams that both provide basis for discussion and illustrate key points. With this budget map in mind, the second part of the book lays out how the partisan divide in America helps explain the fiscal crisis. Hudson analyzes the debate on the extent of the fiscal crisis, the ways that political parties have tried to solve it, and the political events and institutions that have surrounded the crisis. This citizen's guide reveals how differing views of America inform the arguments over deficits and debt. By the time readers finish the book, they will understand that the conflict over deficits and debt is not simply about where to cut or add spending, but instead is a struggle over national priorities and visions for the future.

The technological revolution linked to high speed rail (HSR) has been accompanied by myths and claims about its contribution to society and the economy. Although HSR is unquestionably a technological advance that has become a symbol of modernity, this review and analysis of the international experiences shows that the conditions necessary to have a positive impact, economically, socially and environmentally, are enormously restrictive. The Economics and Politics of High Speed Rail: Lessons from Experiences Abroad, by Daniel Albalate and Germa Bel, introduces the main questions policy makers and scholars should examine when considering and studying HSR implementation, with particular emphasis on the US's recent interest in this technology and possible application in California. Albalate and Bel then review the experiences of the most significant implementations of HSR around the globe. This in-depth international perspective includes chapters on the pioneers of HSR (Japan and France), the European followers (Germany, Spain and Italy), as well as Asian experiences in China, Taiwan, and Korea. Albalate and Bel's study provides a clear distinction between the myths and realities associated with this transportation innovation. Among the most relevant findings, this study highlights how HSR projects that do not satisfy highly restrictive conditions-on mobility patterns, measured costs, and economically rational designs-that make it desirable have been the source of huge financial debacles and the economic failure of HSR in most cases, which result in unfortunate consequences for taxpayers. The Economics and Politics of High Speed Rail is a rigorous investigation of the economic and political challenges and ramifications of implementing new public transportation technology.

Over the last several decades, there has been a growing interest in theoretical, empirical, and experimental work on all aspects of tax compliance and tax evasion. The essays in this volume summarize the existing state of knowledge of tax compliance and tax evasion, present new thinking about this issue, and analyze the empirical relevance of these new perspectives. The original essays in this volume represent an attempt to provide a framework on compliance that moves beyond the economics-of-crime perspective, one that provides a more complete understanding of individual (and group) decisions, and one that is more consistent with empirical evidence. It is the insights of behavioural economics that provide much of the bases for these essays and the main theme running through this book is that the basic model of individual choice must be expanded, by introducing some aspects of behaviour or motivation considered explicitly by other social sciences.

International taxation is a major research topic, and for a field of research at the intersection of so many disciplines there has been surprisingly little done across disciplinary boundaries. This book fills the gap by combining teams from business, economics, information science, law and political science to offer a unique and innovative approach to the issue of international tax coordination. All the chapters are written in collaboration between at least two authors from two different disciplines. This approach offers a rich and nuanced understanding of the many issues of international tax coordination. The book collects seven papers, each one a valuable contribution in itself, beginning with current problems of international taxation and finishing with potential solutions. The essays explore current EU legislation, tax avoidance and tax fraud, as well as double tax agreements, dividend repatriation and hybrid finance and tax planning. Providing methodological answers to the question of how to conduct interdisciplinary research, the book also gives an accessible introduction into research questions and answers that are important in related disciplines for scholars in various areas. This book will be of interest to postgraduates and researchers in the fields of economics, business, informational science, law and political science, as well as to professional accountants and tax lawyers.