This paper examines the role of the legislature in budget processes. The paper highlights that for promoting good governance and fiscal transparency, the legislature’s active engagement in the budget process is essential. When fiscal policies and medium-term budgetary objectives are debated in...

This technical note presents a toolkit for implementing a revenue authority. This toolkit is a guide with a series of operational modules designed to assist countries when they implement a “revenue authority” to administer their tax and customs operations. It provides a definition of Revenue...

This technical note analyzes the functionally organized tax administration. The organization structure of tax organizations has evolved considerably over time. From organization structures based on type of tax, to those based on function, to those based on the type of taxpayer, economies of...

This technical note1 addresses the following main questions: 1. What are the definition, classification, and typology of extrabudgetary funds (EBFs)? 2. Why do EBFs exist? 3. What are the problems created by EBFs? 4. What are the criteria for evaluating and reforming EBFs? and 5. What are the...

This paper discusses the need for reforming budget system laws (BSLs). The outcomes of the budget process depend heavily on whether there are clear rules for formulating, executing, and reporting on the annual budget, as well as a clear statement of medium-term fiscal policy objectives. These...

This paper presents a practical guide to public debt dynamics, fiscal sustainability, and cyclical adjustment of budgetary aggregates. The paper discusses fiscal formulas, which may be of practical use in fiscal analysis. The paper derives, respectively, the formulas for debt dynamics, and...

This technical note examines the use of indirect methods in a taxpayer audit. Indirect methods involve the determination of tax liabilities through an analysis of a taxpayer’s financial affairs utilizing information from a range of sources beyond the taxpayer’s declaration and formal books...

This technical note describes how to develop effective plans for a taxpayer audit. The note highlights that a well-managed audit program plays a major role in managing compliance. An effective audit program will have significantly wider impacts than just raising revenue directly from audit...

This technical note focuses on the concept of autonomy and describes why it is important in public administration. There has been a tendency for governments to increase the autonomy of their departments and agencies. The basic principle is that such autonomy can lead to better performance by...

This technical note describes the interaction of government cash management with other financial policies. The note offers guidance on policy, institutional, and practical issues for governments looking to develop a more sophisticated cash management function, specifically to move toward more...