Value-added tax (VAT) dominates tax systems around the world. But should every country have a VAT? Is VAT always as good as it could be in economic, equity and administrative terms? In developing and transitional countries the answers to such questions are critical to stability, growth and development. VAT is a critical fiscal tool in most countries. But VAT can sometimes be better designed and almost always better administered. The key questions that must be answered in designing and implementing VAT are essentially the same in all countries. But different tax designs may best suit different countries facing different circumstances. This book reviews experiences with VATs around the world and assesses how the choice of particular design features may affect outcomes in particular contexts.

Save BIGGER THAN EVER with this fully updated edition of the classic tax-saving guide! Tax whiz Jeff Schnepper has been helping ordinary taxpayers dramatically lower their tax bills for decades. Now, Schnepper brings his classic guide up to date for the coming tax season. Presented in language anyone can understand, How to Pay Zero Taxes 2020-2021 delivers everything you need to take full advantage of the newest tax laws-and pay the IRS less than ever before. Schnepper uncovers hundreds of sanctioned deductions, shelters, credits, and exemptions and provides invaluable tax tips you'll only find here. You'll learn how to navigate the tax code like a pro and save the maximum legal amounts on: * Capital gains and dividends * IRA and retirement plans * Converting personal expenses into deductible business expenses * Charitable deductions * Child care and elder care * Moving and job-hunting expenses * Mortgages and points * Investment expenses Every April, thousands of people around the country pay far more than they have to. Don't give the IRA one dollar more than the law requires. Use How to Pay Zero Taxes 2020-2021 to keep more of your hard-earned money in your own pocket.

The Asian-Pacific countries as well as India and Russia offer multinational companies all the benefits of booming economies in a world of recession. However, the investor must be aware of the tax regime under which he will operate. This survey presents the rates, definitions of taxable income and the incentives available in a complete, yet concise form. It goes on to review tax minimisation strategies and concludes with a comparison of the overall tax burdens for investors in each country derived from the Devereux/Griffith formulae - a methodology well known within the EU, but applied to this region for the first time.

Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained: If, How, and When to Tax Money from Crowdfunding tackles head on the current version of using a "crowd" to raise funds for a charitable project, a business concept, or an idea for a toy or tool or other device. Most taxpayers are not knowledgeable about if or when the proceeds (income) they receive are taxable. Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained is designed to explain how and why they could be taxable, along with presenting several true-to-life illustrations and related concepts.

On tax day, April 15, 2010, hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets with signs demanding lower taxes on the richest one percent. But why? Rich people have plenty of political influence. Why would they need to publicly demonstrate for lower taxes-and why would anyone who wasn't rich join the protest on their behalf?
Isaac William Martin shows that such protests long predate the Tea Party of our own time. Ever since the Sixteenth Amendment introduced a Federal income tax in 1913, rich Americans have protested new public policies that they thought would threaten their wealth. But while historians have taught us much about the conservative social movements that reshaped the Republican Party in the late 20th century, the story of protest movements explicitly designed to benefit the wealthy is still little known. Rich People's Movements is the first book to tell that story, tracking a series of protest movements that arose to challenge an expanding welfare state and progressive taxation. Drawing from a mix of anti-progressive ideas, the leaders of these movements organized scattered local constituencies into effective campaigns in the 1920s, 1950s, 1980s, and our own era. Martin shows how protesters on behalf of the rich appropriated the tactics used by the Left-from the Populists and Progressives of the early twentieth century to the feminists and anti-war activists of the 1950s and 1960s. He explores why the wealthy sometimes cut secret back-room deals and at other times protest in the public square. He also explains why people who are not rich have so often rallied to their cause.
For anyone wanting to understand the anti-tax activists of today, including notable defenders of wealth inequality like the Koch brothers, the historical account in Rich People's Movements is an essential guide.

A Dictionary of Taxation, Second Edition is comprehensive and more substantive than a simple listing of definitions and will prove to be an enormously valuable reference. Professor James provides just the right amount of detail and insight for each entry, frequently commenting on the historical evolution of a term, and for many entries, providing a list of the original sources upon which the entry is based. I highly recommend this directory to academic researchers, makers of public policy, and private sector professionals.' - Carl P. Kaiser, Washington and Lee University'Simon James' second edition of A Dictionary of Taxation has arrived at last! Tax is one of those things that is universal and unavoidable, and at the same time, dynamic and intriguing. James does a sterling job at capturing so many terms herein, not just technical explanations, but also their history and significance. There are also helpful suggestions for further reading. Both experts and novices alike will find this an interesting and very useful text to have close at hand.' - Margaret McKerchar, Australian School of Taxation and Business Law (Atax) This second edition of the Dictionary of Taxation contains over 200 new or substantially revised entries to enhance the existing wide range of accessible definitions and terms used to describe various aspects of tax and tax systems around the world. The entries relate to the analysis of taxation, key concepts, major developments and controversies in taxation. The Dictionary draws on economic, accounting and legal aspects of taxation as well as the contributions of other social sciences to the understanding of taxation and its effects. Sorted alphabetically, with cross-referencing, each entry presents the essential points of a particular law, accountancy practice or economic concept. Additionally this revised and updated Dictionary offers a guide to readers of other literature on certain concepts or practices. Written in an accessible style, it will be indispensable to all those who need to know more about the concepts of taxation, including practitioners, academics and students.

The study conducted by the Centre of European Economic Research (ZEW), the University of Mannheim and Ernst & Young contributes to the ongoing evaluation of the proposal for a Draft Council Directive on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CC(C)TB) released by the European Commission on March 16, 2011. For the first time, details on the determination of taxable income under the proposed Council Directive are compared to prevailing corporate tax accounting regulations in all 27 Member States, Switzerland and the US. The study presents evidence on the scope of differences and similarities between national tax accounting regulations and the Directive's treatment in a complete, yet concise form. Based on this comprehensive comparison, it goes on to discuss remaining open questions and adjustments needed if the Directive is to be implemented in national tax law. Readers seeking a basis for taking an active part in the public debate will find a valuable source of information and a first impression of how the proposed CC(C)TB would affect corporate tax burdens in the European Union.

This volume provides a fascinating look at the anti-tax avoidance strategies employed by more than fifteen countries in eastern and western Europe, Canada, the Pacific Rim, Asia, Africa, and the United States. It surveys the similarities and differences in anti-avoidance regimes and contains detailed chapters for each country surveying the moral and legal dimensions of the problem. The proliferation of tax avoidance schemes in recent years signals the global dimensions of a problem presenting a serious challenge to the effective administration of tax laws. Tax avoidance involves unacceptable manipulation of the law to obtain a tax advantage. These transactions support wasteful behavior in which corporations enter into elaborate, circuitous arrangements solely to minimize tax liability. It frustrates the ability of governments to collect sufficient revenue to provide essential public goods and services. Avoidance of duly enacted provisions (or manipulation to secure tax benefits unintended by the legislature) poses a threat to the effective operation of a free society for the benefit of a small group of members who seek the privilege of shifting their tax burden onto others merely to compete in the world of commerce. In a world in which world treasuries struggle for the resources to battle terrorist threats and to secure a decent standard of living for constituents tax avoidance can bring economies close to the edge of sustainability. As tax avoidance is one of the top concerns of most nations, the importance of this work cannot be overstated.

A rapidly growing area of economic research investigates the top of the income distribution using data from income tax records. In Top Incomes: A Global Perspective New York Times best-selling author Thomas Piketty and noted member of the Conseil d'Analyse Economique, A. B. Atkinson brings together studies of top incomes for twelve countries from around the world, including China, India, Japan, Argentina and Indonesia. Together with the first volume, published in 2007, the studies cover twenty two countries. They have a long time span, the earliest data relating to 1875 (for Norway), allowing recent developments to be placed in historical perspective. The volume describes in detail the source data and the methods employed. It will be an invaluable reference source for researchers in the field. Individual country chapters deal with the specific nature of the data for each of the countries, and describe the long-term evolution of top income shares.
In the countries as a whole, dramatic changes have taken place at the top of the income distribution. Over the first part of the century, top income shares fell markedly. This largely took the form of a reduction in capital incomes. The different authors examine the impact of the First and Second World Wars, contrasting countries that were and were not engaged. They consider the impact of depressions and banking crises, and pay particular attention to the impact of progressive taxation.
In the last 30 years, the shares of top incomes have increased markedly in the US and other Anglo-Saxon countries, reflecting the increased dispersion of earnings. The volume includes statistics on the much-discussed top pay and bonuses, providing a global perspective that discusses important differences between countries such as the lesser increase in Continental Europe. This book, together with volume 1, documents this interesting development and explores the underlying causes. The findings are brought together in a final summary chapter by Atkinson, Piketty and Saez.

Based on a pioneering research programme on the evolution of top incomes, this volume brings together studies from 10 OECD countries. This rapidly growing field of economic research investigates the top segment of the income distribution by using data from income tax records over the past century. As well as describing the source data and methods employed, the authors also discuss the dramatic changes that have occurred at the top of the income scale throughout the 20th century.
This fascinating study is the first of its kind to provide a comprehensive historic overview of top income distribution over the last century. It looks at why top incomes shares fell markedly in the first half of the 20th century and why, more recently, there has been a striking difference in the top income distribution between continental Europe and English-speaking OECD countries, like the UK, USA, and Australia. Written by Thomas Piketty, New York Times best-selling author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, and noted member of the Conseil d'Analyse Economique, A. B. Atkinson, this seminal work provides rich pickings for those with an interest in inequality, development, the economic impact of war, taxation, economic history, and executive compensation.

The 43rd annual edition of the leading guide to taxation in Britain. This practical and user-friendly guide is a bestseller with students, professionals, accountants and private individuals, explaining in simple terms how the UK tax system works and how best to minimise tax liabilities.

Silke Runger aims at investigating the influence of shareholder taxation on corporate ownership with respect to the level of ownership concentration as well as changes in corporate ownership. The empirical investigations show that shareholder taxes are found to influence both, the level of ownership concentration as well as the divestiture choice of single owners and a change in corporate ownership."

The purpose of this book is to provide within a single volume a comparative analysis of the tax laws of developed countries bearing upon direct private investment in developing countries, and a representative sample of developing country laws bearing upon the receipt of such investment. This study was initiated by the Tax Committee of the Business Section of the International Bar Association under the leadership of Jean-Claude Goldsmith of the Paris Bar. I undertook to act as the reporter, to browbeat colleagues in other countries to write national reports, and to provide the reporter's overview statement. This report includes studies of fourteen developed countries prepared by national reporters and summaries of five other developed country laws. Note worthy are the detailed examinations of the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and of Japan, the two developed countries that have provided the most comprehensive system of incentives for private investment in developing countries. Also contained herein are reports from eight developing countries, including a thorough examination of the laws of Brazil. Attention is paid in the developed country reports not only to those tax provisions that act as in inducement to foreign investment but also to those that favor domestic investment and hence act as a disincentive to foreign investment. Relevant double taxation agreements are discussed, and other aspects such as exchange control and government grants are also mentioned."

If you arenot a citizen or resident of the United States (U.S.) and you are contemplating either making or expanding an investment in the U .S., either for yourself as an individual or for a business, you arenot alone. The U.S. is the country of first choice for many foreign investors. This is due to the fact that the U.S. offers foreign investors many advantages, some ofwhich are in short supply in today's world. The primary advantage that the U.S. affords foreign investorsisthat it endorses the economic concept of free enterprise. While it is true that the Federal and state governments have interfered with the private economy to some extent, the prevailing economic philosophy in the U .S. remains laissez faire. History has taught the U.S. that the market place allocates the finite resources of a country betterthan the government, and the advantagesoftbis philosophy have not been overlooked by foreign investors. Another attractive feature of the U .S. as an investment site is its political stability. The present form of constitutional government has presided for over 200 years, and this history provides foreign investors with a measure of security which is absent elsewhere."

Der Worte sind genug gewechse/t, lasst mich auch endlich Taten sehn. J.W. GOETHE Since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which are analysed in Part 1, are spe cialized agencies linked by special agreements with the United Nations, a few words about the UN and two of the other specialized agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Labour Organization, are called for. This is followed by a short account of the Bank for International Settlements, which is also referred to in connection with the IMF and the IBRD. The rest of this introduction is devoted to some non-European attempts at economic integration (which have not yet been very successful) and to the regional development banks. 1. The United Nations (UN) The United Nations comprises 159 countries (September 1986) which have accepted the Charter of the United Nations, which was signed at San Francisco on 26 June 1945 by fifty-one states and came into force on 24 October 1945. The aims of the organization include the maintenance of peace and security, the promotion of better standards of living and the encouragement of economic and social progress for all nations by means of international cooperation. The principal organs of the UN are: The General Assembly The Security Council The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) The Trusteeship Council The International Court of Justice The Secretariat."

Compliance has become key to our contemporary markets, societies, and modes of governance across a variety of public and private domains. While this has stimulated a rich body of empirical and practical expertise on compliance, thus far, there has been no comprehensive understanding of what compliance is or how it influences various fields and sectors. The academic knowledge of compliance has remained siloed along different disciplinary domains, regulatory and legal spheres, and mechanisms and interventions. This handbook bridges these divides to provide the first one-stop overview of what compliance is, how we can best study it, and the core mechanisms that shape it. Written by leading experts, chapters offer perspectives from across law, regulatory studies, management science, criminology, economics, sociology, and psychology. This volume is the definitive and comprehensive account of compliance.

This book, first published in 1984, examines the use of simple general equilibrium models in analysing the effects of taxes. The replacement of the earlier partial equilibrium approach has yielded numerous insights and conclusions, and these are examined here alongside the simple general equilibrium reasoning.

This exciting new volume provides an up-to-date overview of the current state of taxation in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, its main reform needs, and possible reform strategies that take into account the likely economic, institutional, and political constraints on the reform process.

This book offers a wholesale reinterpretation of both the introduction of excise taxation in Great Britain in the 1640s and the genesis of the Financial Revolution of the 1690s. By analysing hitherto unpublished manuscript and print sources, D'Maris Coffman resolves divergent accounts of these constitutionally problematic but fiscally significant new taxes. Parliament's success at imposing on a deeply divided kingdom an extra-legal species of indirect taxation, which hitherto had been a constitutional anathema and a political impossibility, remains one of the most striking features of the period. A fresh reading of William Petty's Treatise on Taxes illustrates the development of an indigenous discourse in defence of the tax state. By highlighting the importance of fiscal innovation during the Civil Wars and Interregnum for the development of the fiscal state in Britain, this study challenges 'stylised facts' about the economic significance of 1688/89. The final chapter delivers new insight into why the eighteenth-century British public accepted both unprecedented levels of government borrowing and one of the heaviest tax burdens in Western Europe. Coffman reveals how a 'new financial history,' rooted in closely contextualised studies, can contribute to current debates about sustainable levels of taxation and to fundamental questions of economic theory.

The 42nd annual edition of the leading guide to taxation in Britain. This practical and user-friendly guide is a bestseller with students, professionals, accountants and private individuals, explaining in simple terms how the UK tax system works and how best to minimise tax liabilities.

Property Tax Reform in Developing Countries provides a conceptual framework for property tax reform with the intention of making the most compelling argument possible to persuade the reader as to its validity. The text claims that a model for property tax reform in developing countries is derived from a theoretical distillation of empirical experience. The primary objective of this study is to establish, through logic, theory and observation: what constitutes a good property tax system, for whom, and under what conditions; why such a system works; and how inferior systems can be upgraded to approximate well-functioning systems. Property Tax Reform in Developing Countries develops its examination in three stages. First, a conceptual framework is presented for the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of property tax reform in developing countries. Second, attempts to reform property taxation in four developing countries are examined in detail. Finally, the results of the reform efforts described in the four case studies are evaluated and guidelines for reform are offered. The study concludes with specific recommendations for reforming property tax systems in developing countries, based on the conceptual framework and synthesizing lessons of the case studies.

Public Interest Institute began operations in 1992 as Iowa's only state-level, independent, research organization. As a public-policy research organization, our four principal goals are to become an information and analysis resource for all Iowans; provide local, state, and national policy-makers with a rigorous, objective, and understandable analysis of specific policy initiatives; identify practical alternatives for action on critical issues; and provide a forum for policy-makers and individuals to share ideas and concerns. The Institute promotes the importance of a free-enterprise economic system and its relationship to a free and democratic society. It seeks to support the proper role of a limited government in a society based upon individual freedom and liberty. Concerned citizens are challenged to become better informed about public issues, for ideas have consequences, and involved individuals can make a difference. Following the general treatment of how to achieve these ideals contained in LIMITING LEVIATHAN, we have continued our series of books designed to examine the topics raised there in greater depth. In FEDERALIST GOVERNMENT IN PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICE we developed the ways in which dividing governmental power between levels such as national and state can help citizens preserve their freedoms. In this volume we develop the ways in which property rights do the same.

Recently, a research program on the compliance costs and the economic effects of taxation in New Zealand was undertaken within the Inland Revenue Department. Taxation and the Limits of Government is an edited volume which presents the best of the papers that emerged from that research program. Topical coverage includes a brief history of reform in New Zealand, the effect of taxation on economic growth, the marginal cost of taxation, the employment effects of taxation, income distribution, the hidden economy and taxation, tax compliance, taxation and bankruptcy, and estimates of effective tax rates.

International taxation is a vital issue for a growing number of business and individuals across the world. The need to understand how the international system of taxation works is therefore a subject of importance to many people. The International Taxation System provides this understanding by bringing together experts from the most important fields in the subject who have each authored chapters especially for this book. They each provide brief, structured and easy to understand explanations of the key concepts edited together into one volume to provide a unique, very readable, guide to the field. While this text is aimed at masters or advanced undergraduate level students, it will also be of interest to those requiring a professional understanding of the topic. Each chapter introduces a different aspect of the international taxation system, explains the important issues to be understood in each case and provides suggestions for discussion and further reading.