Tax burdens and revenue collection in advanced economies are reaching record levels not seen since before the global financial crisis, but the tax mix continues varying widely across countries, according to new OECD research published today.
This paper reviews the use of tax preferences to achieve environmental policy objectives. Tax preferences involve using the tax system to adjust relative prices with a view to influencing producer or consumer behaviour in favour of goods or services that are considered to be environmentally beneficial.
Tax revenues are currently rising as a proportion of national incomes in Indonesia and Malaysia but continue to be substantially lower than for Korea, Japan and other OECD countries, according to a new OECD report.
Tax for development: why better public services matter
Personal income tax has risen in 25 out of 34 OECD countries over the past three years, as countries reduce the value of tax-free allowances and tax credits and subject higher proportions of earnings to tax, according to new data in the annual Taxing Wages publication.
Following the financial crisis in 2008, millions of citizens faced hardship as they set about repairing the damage done to their economies and to public finances. For most people, the necessary sacrifice was bearable as long as it was shared fairly by everyone in society. Unfortunately, the evidence shows that this was not the case when it came to some large global companies.
OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría has welcomed moves by more than 40 countries – reinforced by EU leaders - to commit to a detailed timetable to step up the fight against tax evasion.
We need to fight distortions to competition that can arise from tax avoidance, just like we do from other forms of government intervention, such as regulation, said OECD Secretary-General.
Tax revenues in Latin American countries continue to rise but are lower as a proportion of their national incomes than in most OECD countries. Revenue Statistics in Latin America 2012 shows that Argentina and Brazil have the highest tax revenue to GDP ratio, while Guatemala and Dominican Republic stand at the lower end.
Tax revenues continue bouncing back from the low levels reported in almost all countries during 2008 and 2009, at the height of the global economic crisis, according to new OECD data in the annual Revenue Statistics publication. The average tax revenue to GDP ratio in OECD countries was 34.6% in 2012, compared with 34.1% in 2011 and 33.8% in 2010.
The Forum on Tax Administration - Tax Commissioners from 45 countries - has been meeting in Moscow for the past two days. And released this comuniqué.
This fifth edition describes institutional setups, organisational arrangements and reforms, aspects of strategic management and human resource management, resources for tax administration, important areas of operational performance, the use of technology, and elements of the legislative and administrative framework for tax administration across the 52 economies covered by the series.
All of the world’s financial centres, under the impetus of the G20, and adopting the standards developed by the OECD, made a commitment in 2009 to putting an end to tax-motivated bank secrecy. Most of the countries have kept their word but major progress must still be made, said OECD Secretary-General.
New data show that across OECD countries the average tax and social security burden on employment incomes increased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 35.6 per cent in 2012. It increased in 19 out of 34 countries, fell in 14, and remained unchanged in 1.
Tax revenues in Latin American countries are lower as a proportion of their national incomes than in most OECD countries, but are rising slowly. Revenue Statistics in Latin America shows that the average tax revenue to GDP ratio in the 15 Latin American countries covered by the report increased from 19% in 2009 to 19.4% in 2010, after falling from a high point of 19.7% in 2008.
Pakistan has joined the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. As the 111th member of the Global Forum, it will participate in the peer review process which encourages all countries to adopt effective exchange of information in tax matters.
The OECD has updated Article 26 of the OECD Model Tax Convention, which sets out the international standard on exchange of information. The standard provides for information exchange on request, where the information is “foreseeably relevant” for the administration of the taxes of the requesting party, regardless of bank secrecy and a domestic tax interest.
Ghana has signed the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, a multilateral agreement developed jointly by the Council of Europe and the OECD. Ghana is the second African country, after South Africa, to sign the Convention since it was opened for signature to all countries in June 2011.
Financial crimes, including corruption, tax fraud and money laundering, are a threat to all countries, both developing and developed. The sums are vast. Estimates have put total proceeds from all illicit activities at 3.6% of global GDP.
The average tax and social security burden on employment incomes increased in 26 out of 34 OECD countries in 2011 according to the new OECD Taxing Wages publication. Tax payers in Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Slovak Republic were among those hit with the largest increases.
The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has just completed peer reviews of 11 jurisdictions. This brings to 70 the number of peer review reports completed since March 2010.
India has ratified the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, a multilateral agreement developed jointly by the Council of Europe and the OECD that was opened for signature to all countries in June 2011.
Uruguay has signed 7 new agreements providing for the exchange of tax information, showing its willingness to implement the global standards.
OECD countries acknowledge that taxes must play a role in the process of fiscal consolidation as they battle unprecedented budget deficits. In 2010, the majority of OECD governments have stabilised their tax to GDP, with the average ratio moving up slightly from 33.8% in 2009 to 33.9% in 2010.
Tax Transparency 2011: Report on Progress, a report prepared by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, was delivered to the G20 in Cannes and is now available to journalists.&
"Tax co-operation and compliance are of crucial importance for all countries and citizens - and not only in times of a tight fiscal and budgetary environment,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría from the Cannes G20 Summit.
“Governments have signed more than 700 agreements to exchange tax information. These agreements have already yielded €14 billion in additional revenues, to 20 countries, from more than 100 000 tax payers who had hidden assets offshore.”
High unemployment rates, in the wake of the financial and economic crisis, have governments scrambling to create jobs. A new OECD report suggests that well-targeted tax reforms can encourage employers to hire more people and the jobless to look for employment.
Furthering efforts to fight against international tax evasion and bank secrecy, members of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes have issued 12 new peer review reports.
The economic crisis means global corporate losses have increased significantly. Though most of these claims are justified, some corporations use ‘aggressive tax planning’ to avoid taxes. Governments are working together to detect and deter these undue tax advantages.
The tax wedge for the average single worker in Mexico increased by 0.4 percentage points from 19.7 in 2018 to 20.1 in 2019. The OECD average tax wedge in 2019 was 36.0 (2018, 36.1). In 2019 Mexico had the 34th lowest tax wedge among the 36 OECD member countries, occupying the same position in 2018.
This country note explains how Mexico taxes energy use. The note shows the distribution of effective energy tax rates across all domestic energy use. It also details the country-specific assumptions made when calculating effective energy tax rates and matching tax rates to the corresponding energy base.
We need to fight distortions to competition that can arise from tax avoidance, just like we do from other forms of government intervention, such as regulation, said OECD Secretary-General.
The tax wedge for the average single worker in Turkey decreased by 0.1 percentage points from 39.2 in 2018 to 39.1 in 2019. The OECD average tax wedge in 2019 was 36.0 (2018, 36.1). In 2019 Turkey had the 16th highest tax wedge among the 36 OECD member countries, compared with the 17th in 2018.
This country note explains how Turkey taxes energy use. The note shows the distribution of effective energy tax rates across all domestic energy use. It also details the country-specific assumptions made when calculating effective energy tax rates and matching tax rates to the corresponding energy base.
This note presents marginal effective tax rates (METRs) that summarise the tax system’s impact on the incentives to make an additional investment in a particular type of savings. By comparing METRs on different types of household savings, we can gain insights into which assets or savings types receive the most favourable treatment from the tax system.
The tax wedge for the average single worker in the Netherlands decreased by 0.5 percentage points from 37.8 in 2018 to 37.3 in 2019. The OECD average tax wedge in 2019 was 36.0 (2018, 36.1). In 2019 the Netherlands had the 18th highest tax wedge among the 36 OECD member countries, compared with the 19th in 2018.
This country note explains how the Netherlands taxes energy use. The note shows the distribution of effective energy tax rates across all domestic energy use. It also details the country-specific assumptions made when calculating effective energy tax rates and matching tax rates to the corresponding energy base.
This note presents marginal effective tax rates (METRs) that summarise the tax system’s impact on the incentives to make an additional investment in a particular type of savings. By comparing METRs on different types of household savings, we can gain insights into which assets or savings types receive the most favourable treatment from the tax system.
The tax wedge for the average single worker in Canada decreased by 0.3 percentage points from 30.8 in 2018 to 30.5 in 2019. The OECD average tax wedge in 2019 was 36.0 (2018, 36.1). In 2019 Canada had the 28th lowest tax wedge among the 36 OECD member countries, occupying the same position in 2018.
This country note explains how Canada taxes energy use. The note shows the distribution of effective energy tax rates across all domestic energy use. It also details the country-specific assumptions made when calculating effective energy tax rates and matching tax rates to the corresponding energy base.
This note presents marginal effective tax rates (METRs) that summarise the tax system’s impact on the incentives to make an additional investment in a particular type of savings. By comparing METRs on different types of household savings, we can gain insights into which assets or savings types receive the most favourable treatment from the tax system.
The tax wedge for the average single worker in New Zealand increased by 0.4 percentage points from 18.4 in 2018 to 18.8 in 2019. The OECD average tax wedge in 2019 was 36.0 (2018, 36.1). In 2019 New Zealand had the 35th lowest tax wedge among the 36 OECD member countries, occupying the same position in 2018.
This country note explains how New Zealand taxes energy use. The note shows the distribution of effective energy tax rates across all domestic energy use. It also details the country-specific assumptions made when calculating effective energy tax rates and matching tax rates to the corresponding energy base.
This note presents marginal effective tax rates (METRs) that summarise the tax system’s impact on the incentives to make an additional investment in a particular type of savings. By comparing METRs on different types of household savings, we can gain insights into which assets or savings types receive the most favourable treatment from the tax system.
The tax wedge for the average single worker in the United Kingdom remained the same at 30.9 percentage points between 2018 and 2019. The OECD average tax wedge in 2019 was 36.0 (2018, 36.1). In 2019 the United Kingdom had the 27th lowest tax wedge among the 36 OECD member countries, occupying the same position in 2018.
This country note explains how the United Kingdom taxes energy use. The note shows the distribution of effective energy tax rates across all domestic energy use. It also details the country-specific assumptions made when calculating effective energy tax rates and matching tax rates to the corresponding energy base.
The tax wedge for the average single worker in the United States increased by 0.2 percentage points from 29.6 in 2018 to 29.8 in 2019. The OECD average tax wedge in 2019 was 36.0 (2018, 36.1). In 2019 the United States had the 29th lowest tax wedge among the 36 OECD member countries, occupying the same position in 2018.
This country note explains how the United States taxes energy use. The note shows the distribution of effective energy tax rates across all domestic energy use. It also details the country-specific assumptions made when calculating effective energy tax rates and matching tax rates to the corresponding energy base.
This note presents marginal effective tax rates (METRs) that summarise the tax system’s impact on the incentives to make an additional investment in a particular type of savings. By comparing METRs on different types of household savings, we can gain insights into which assets or savings types receive the most favourable treatment from the tax system.