The European Parliamentary Research Service recently released a report evaluating the compliance costs for businesses and consumers of the current value-added tax (VAT) system and analyzing the environmental and social effects of reduced VAT rates. The report concludes that reducing the VAT gap—the difference between the tax collected and the tax that should be collected […]
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Spain is set to receive roughly €140 billion in grants and loans through the European Union’s (EU) Recovery and Resilience Facility program over the next six years. However, policymakers are also considering significant tax hikes that could undermine recovery efforts. When the pandemic subsides, Spain should focus on policies […]
Countries face twin economic challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic: maintain fiscal support to businesses that have been affected by the pandemic and prepare for an uneven and uncertain economic recovery, and work towards budgetary stability and reduce the risks associated with growing public debt. However, moving too fast towards budgetary stability either through tax hikes […]
The European Union (EU) recently launched a consultation to reform the EU business tax system, which the European Commission considers is ill-equipped to face the challenges posed by globalization, climate change, digitalization, and population aging. This consultation could lead to proposals for taxes that raise general funds for the EU rather than individual member states. […]
Key Findings Implemented in 1991, Sweden’s carbon tax was one of the first in the world, second only to Finland’s carbon tax, which was implemented a year earlier. Sweden levies the highest carbon tax rate in the world, at SEK 1,190 (US $126) per metric ton of CO2. The tax is primarily levied on fossil […]
As the economic crisis driven by the pandemic has continued, a troubling trend in tax policy discussions has arisen. It is common these days to hear finance ministers refer to tax increases that would be narrowly targeted at a particular business model or industry simply based on the fact that those businesses appear to be […]
New research on the impact of energy taxes and the EU’s cap-and-trade system has been released. Both articles were published by the American Economic Journal in 2020. In “Energy Cost Pass-Through in US Manufacturing: Estimates and Implications for Carbon Taxes,” the authors study the welfare effects of changes in energy input costs—such as energy tax […]
Today begins Germany’s presidency of the council of the European Union. The EU presidency rotates among EU member countries every six months; Germany’s presidency will last through the end of 2020. In addition to a new six-month presidency, this is also the beginning of an 18-month cycle with Germany, Poland, and Slovenia working on a […]