Tax Policy And Economic Development

This report investigates how tax structures can best be designed to support GDP per capita growth.

Evaluation of the unique conditions that apply to developing nations and an examination of their impact on both the kinds of taxes that may be raised and the effective administration of tax policy.

First published in 1978. 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.

Worldwide experience highlights public finance policies that promote economic growth while meeting the need for fundamental public goods. Macroeconomic stability is essential, as large budget deficits retard growth, followed by moderate levels of public spending - around one-third of GDP or less - especially when governance and public administration are weak; that in turn requires efficiency, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, health, education, and social protection; finally, lower income and payroll tax rates can spur investment and employment. The Eastern European and Central Asia countries pioneered flat income taxes without generally suffering revenue losses as a result, but they have not addressed the problem of high payroll taxes and still face many hurdles in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending and revenue generation.

World Bank Technical Paper No. 140. Also available: Volume 1 (ISBN 0-8213-1843-8) Stock No. 11843; Volume 3 (ISBN 0-8213-1845-4) Stock No. 11845. Provides state-of-the-art guidance and information on the procedural requirements and practical aspects of environmental assessment in various sector- and location-specific contexts. Three volumes also available in Arabic: Volume 1 (ISBN 0-8213-3523-5) Stock No. 13523; Volume 2 (ISBN 0-8213-3617-7) Stock No. 13617; Volume 3 (ISBN 0-8213-3618-5) Stock No. 13618.

This book offers a comprehensive guide to modern day taxation issues. It presents a thorough overview of many of the crucial aspects of applied taxation and current tax systems, and presents evidence that supports taxation as an important policy issue requiring immediate address globally. Contributions seek to address the core question of how to design a tax policy mix that can serve primarily efficiency, growth and possibly equity goals at a time where fiscal spending, for many economies, is not a viable option. Chapters provide a historical perspective on taxation, then go on to cover aspects of the modern theory of optimal taxation and tax design and provide valuable international perspectives on current tax practices and much required tax reforms. Empirical analysis on taxation and related economic data help the readers to understand how data-based observations and results are linked to the theory of taxation, and more importantly economic growth, before offering appropriate policy prescriptions. This book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners interested in learning more about taxation and why it matters today in the global economy.

This paper offers possible explanations for three generally observed facts about fiscal policy and development: (F1) The relative size of government increases as an economy develops, (F2) The rise in government and taxation are associated with rising or constant economic growth rates, and (F3) Today's developing countries have larger government sectors than did today's developed countries at similar stages of development. The explanations for these facts are based on the structural transformation from traditional (mostly agricultural) to modern (industrial and post-industrial) production, rising public infrastructure investment, and less representative governments in many of today's developing economies.