Subnational Taxes in Developing Countries: The Way Forward

It is critical to emphasize that intergovernmental fiscal relations must be thought of as a system and that all the pieces in the system must fit together if decentralization is to work properly. Various theories and experiences strongly suggest that if fiscal decentralization is to produce sustainable benefits in developing countries, then subnational governments require subnational taxes than the present system. Moreover, in developing countries there are potentially sound and productive taxes that subnational governments could use. This paper reviews the literature and evidence on the most appropriate structure of regional and local taxes in developing countries. [IIB WP no.16]