Capital gains taxes pose a host of technical and political design problems and yet, while the literature on the theory of capital gains taxation is substantial, little has been published on how governments have addressed these dilemmas. Written by a team of distinguished international experts, Capital Gains Taxation addresses the gap in the literature; it explains how a number of countries tax capital gains and the successes and pitfalls of these methods. Examining key issues in the theory and practice of capital gains taxation in a general context, this book also provides a detailed analysis of the tax systems of Australia, Canada, China, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and the US. It questions whether capital gains should be taxed in the same way as ordinary income, considers the rate at which they ought to be taxed, if indeed they should be at all, and compares the taxation on realisation of capital gains versus on an accruals basis. Eloquent and astute, Capital Gains Taxation will be a crucial point of reference for students and scholars of tax law and policy. Its pragmatic approach will also benefit tax practitioners, policy-makers and tax authorities. Contributors include: R. Avi-Yonah, P. Baker, M. Bowler-Smith, D. Duff, C. Elliffe, S. Griffiths, E.C.C.M. Kemmeren, M. Littlewood, A. O'Connell, J. Roeleveld, D.P. Sengupta, D. White, Y. Xu, D. Zelik

This book analyses the impact of European tax and benefit systems on incentives to create and take up jobs. European policymakers face tough choices as reforms to these systems are costly and recognising and understanding the complex trade-offs involved - a pre-condition to pushing the reform process forward - is the aim of this volume. The authors, experts in public and welfare economics, investigate the problems involved in re-designing tax and benefit systems in Europe, the cross-country spillovers of 'bad' domestic policies and the peer pressure from closer policy co-operation in EMU. They examine reforms in tax and welfare systems and suggest ways in which to improve their efficiency without undermining the equitable foundations of the European social model. While aiming at a high degree of generality, the analyses are rooted firmly in the experience of European countries and the conclusions are therefore all the more relevant and of interest to policymakers in Europe, as well as the rest of the world. The blend of theoretical and institutional analysis, policy suggestions and case studies of relevant European success stories will ensure this book appeals to policymakers and scholars of welfare, European and labour studies.

This work contains the full text of the papers given at the first Tax Law History Conference in Cambridge in September 2002 and organised by the Cambridge Law Facultys Centre for Tax Law. The papers ranged widely from the time of King John to the 20th century,from Tudor Englands Statute of Wills to the American taxes on slaves, from Hong Kong, Australia and Israel. The sources ranged from the Public Record office to the bowels of Somerset House. The topics ranged from the tax base through tax administration to tax policy making as well as providing detailed accounts of the UKs remittance basis of taxation and the Excess Profits Duty of the First World War. All students of tax law and tax history will want to read these papers by an international team of leading scholars in tax law and history.

Countries eliminate the burden of double taxation for their taxpayers who engage in cross-border business activities by negotiating tax treaties with other countries. In the case of developing countries, tax treaties are often entered into with the additional purpose of attracting foreign investment as a path towards development. It is not clear, however, what role such agreements play in a country's development efforts.

Originally published: New York: The Macmillan Company, 1914. xi, 743 pp. Reprint of the second edition, which includes a new chapter on the income tax of 1913. Seligman argues persuasively that graduated income taxes distribute the burden of taxation with greater justice than other systems. After he sets out the fundamental problem of the concept of income taxation, Seligman enhances his theoretical argument with a historical examination of income taxes in Europe and the United States. With a useful index and a thorough bibliography.
Edwin R.A. Seligman 1861-1939] was an eminent economist and authority on tax issues. He was admitted to the New York State bar in 1884 and in the same year received an appointment as lecturer in the political science department at Columbia University, where he later became a professor of political economy and finance. Seligman was a cofounder of the American Economic Association, serving as Its president from 1902-1904, and was later president of the National Tax Association (1913-1915). He served as an adviser to New York State and New York City tax commissions and acted as consultant to the League of Nations (1922-1923) and the government of Cuba in 1931. He was the editor in chief of the Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences and editor of the Columbia University series Studies in History, Economics and Public Law. He was the author of numerous titles on taxation and economics including The Shifting and Incidence of Taxation (1892; 3rd ed., 1910), Progressive Taxation in Theory and Practice (1894; 2nd ed. 1908), Economic Interpretation of History (1902; 2nd ed. 1907), Principles of Economics (1907), Studies in Public Finance (1925) and Essays in Economics (1925).
"Professor Seligman's advocacy of the income tax in the various papers which were incorporated in this book] was an important factor in educating the American public to the point where the passage of the Sixteenth Amendment and of the law of 1913 was possible."
--5 Columbia Law Review (1915) 292

This book is the only in-depth analysis of VAT to focus on exemptions as a whole. Ten insightful chapters - by economists, lawyers, legal academics, and government tax advisors from a wide variety of jurisdictions - grapple with the essential questions: Are VAT exemptions desirable? Are they avoidable? Are alternative legal designs possible? Are such alternatives necessary? What new problems do such designs give rise to? The authors emphasize in particular the design alternatives to exemptions that characterize 'modern' VAT and the newly proposed 'post-modern' VAT, both those that are already in operation in some countries and others that have not yet been attempted anywhere in the world. Among the core issues discussed are the following: 'out-of-scope' supplies and suppliers; merit or concessional exemptions for, e.g., charities, healthcare, cultural activities, and education services; and 'technical' exemptions applied to, e.g., gambling, immovable property, financial and insurance services.

Capital markets are a continuous stream of activity and innovation. Constantly evolving and inherently dynamic, they give rise to complex regulatory and policy issues and offer rich material for analysis. Additionally, globalization has incentivized cross-border listings and international flows of capital. Global Capital Markets takes stock of recent trends and events by exploring their legal and regulatory implications across several jurisdictions from around the world. This book provides a critical analysis of current issues including investor activism, the challenges of cross-border regulatory enforcement and recent initiatives to empower shareholders to improve corporate governance. It also surveys longer-term trends such as the development of the nascent capital markets law in China over the last two decades and discusses the emerging issues from the increased use of dual class voting shares. Case studies draw on examples from nations such as the US, Canada, Europe, China, India and New Zealand. Timely and incisive, this book will appeal to students and academics in international corporate and securities law. Contributors incude: A. Anand, Q. Bu, H. Donegan, T. Keeper, Y.-H. Lin, A.B Majumdar, C. Malberti, T. Rodriguez de las Heras Ballell, U. Varottil