stabilise the debt ratio in the medium term and fund unmet public services needs. The tax-benefit system needs to be redesigned … around half of total tax revenues, but are levied on small tax bases, partly reflecting the unequal distribution of income …. Only the value-added tax has a relatively broad basis combined with a moderate tax rate. There is some scope to raise …

The Polish tax system is characterised by high social security contributions for both employers and employees. As a … result, Poland has one of the highest tax wedges in the OECD, despite relatively low personal income tax rates. This …, property. One of the key implications of the tax structure is that the system as a whole is one of the least redistributive …

After the radical reforms undertaken in the 1980s, the NZ tax system has long been regarded as one of most efficient … within the OECD, and is based on a comprehensive income approach. Looking forward, the country will require a tax regime that … clear long-term direction for the tax system to guide reforms. There are at least two broad options that are worth …

The tax-to-GDP ratio rose steadily in most EU countries up to the late 1990s, largely reflecting a sustained expansion … of public sector commitments to welfare provision. Since the late 1990s, many EU countries have cut tax rates. However …, the tax burden in the EU area remains much higher than in most other economies. The tax mix is also different, with high …

The Japanese tax system applies relatively low marginal tax rates on most economic activities which, in combination … with moderate tax elasticities of the bases, indicate that the overall distortion from the tax system (the excess burden …) is probably modest compared with other OECD countries. Recent sizeable reductions in statutory marginal tax rates in both …

Tax reform is an urgent priority, as Japan needs as much as 5% to 6% of GDP of additional government revenue just to … stabilise public debt, which has risen to 180% of GDP. In addition to raising revenue, tax reform should promote economic growth …, address the deterioration in income distribution and improve the local tax system. Additional revenue should be obtained …

Korea has one of the lowest tax burdens in the OECD area, reflecting its small public sector. However, rapid population … and tax revenue while sustaining strong economic growth. A pro-growth tax reform implies relying primarily on consumption … taxes for additional revenue. There is also scope for raising personal income tax revenue from its current low level by …

social assistance benefits, in 2006-07. This paper describes the main elements of these tax and benefit reforms and provides …In 2008, the Czech government implemented a major overhaul of the personal income tax (PIT), replacing the previous … corporate income tax (CIT) and an increase in the concessionary rate of value added tax (VAT) applied to many goods and services …

than would have been warranted by the registered rate of nominal output growth and the impact of tax measures. The study … United Kingdom, France and some Nordic countries. Conversely, the subsequent decline in tax receipts has been sharper than …

Individual elements in Belgian tax system affect the growth process through different channels and to a varying degree …. Consumption taxes are among the least distortive for growth, and there is considerable scope to increase the reliance on this tax …. However, its level remains internationally high, reflecting numerous exemptions, which reduce tax bases and thus require …