scholarly journals Framing the tax and health nexus: a neglected aspect of public health concern

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mccoy ◽  
Simukai Chigudu ◽  
Taavi Tillmann

AbstractPrevious studies have described various associations between tax policy and health. Here we propose a unifying conceptual framework of ‘Five R’s’ to stimulate awareness about the importance of tax to health improvement. First, tax can improverepresentationand democratic accountability, and help make governments more responsive to the needs of its citizens. Second, tax can create arevenuestream for a universal pool of public finance for health care and other public services. Third, progressive taxation when combined with appropriate public spending can helpredistributewealth and income and mitigate social and health inequalities. Fourth, there-pricingof harmful products (e.g. tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food) can help reduce their consumption. Fifth, taxation provides a route by which certain harmful industries can beregulated. The paper also discusses the barriers that hinder the full potential for taxation to be used to improve health, including: weak tax administrations, large ‘shadow economies’, international trade liberalisation, tax avoidance, transfer pricing by transnational corporations and banking secrecy. We suggest that a greater awareness of the manifold associations between tax and health will encourage health practitioners to actively promote fairer and better taxation, thereby helping to improve health and reduce health inequalities.

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-216070
Author(s):  
Deborah Shipton ◽  
Shifa Sarica ◽  
Neil Craig ◽  
Gerry McCartney ◽  
Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi ◽  
...  

ObjectiveInequality is deeply embedded in our economic structures—it is necessary to address these economic inequalities if we are to reduce health inequalities. An inclusive economic approach was conceptualised as a way to reduce these economic inequalities, although the attributes of this approach are unclear. Public health practitioners are increasingly asked to provide a health perspective on the economic recovery plans in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to identify the attributes of an inclusive economy to enable the public health profession to influence an inclusive economic recovery.ApproachWe conducted a rapid review of grey and peer-reviewed literature to identify the attributes of an inclusive economy as currently defined in the literature.Attributes of an inclusive economyTwenty-two concepts were identified from 56 reports and articles. These were collapsed into four distinct attributes of an inclusive economy: (1) an economy that is designed to deliver inclusion and equity, (2) equitable distribution of the benefits from the economy (eg, assets, power, value), (3) equitable access to the resources needed to participate in the economy (eg, health, education), and (4) the economy operates within planetary boundaries.ConclusionAs economies are (re)built following the COVID-19 pandemic, these attributes of an inclusive economy—based on the current literature—can be used to develop, and then monitor progress of, economic policy that will reduce health inequalities, improve health and mitigate against climate change.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Teza Deasvery Falbo ◽  
Amrie Firmansyah

The increase in tax revenue in Indonesia is not accompanied by an increase in tax ratio The low tax ratioindicatestax avoidance practices in Indonesia. Some tax avoidance practices can be conductedthrough transferpricing and thin capitalization.This study is aimed to examine empirically the effect of thin capitalization as well astransfer pricing aggressiveness on tax avoidance practice in Indonesia. This study uses manufacturing companieswhich are listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) within the period 2013-2015. Using purposive sampling, theselected samples in this study are 90 companies, so the total sample is 270 samples. The hypothesis examinationused in this study is multiple linear regression analysis of panel data.The results of this study suggest that thincapitalization is positively associated with tax avoidance,while transfer pricing aggressivenessis not associated withtax avoidance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Porroche-Escudero ◽  
Jennie Popay ◽  
Fiona Ward ◽  
Saiqa Ahmed ◽  
Dorkas Akeju ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Action to address the structural determinants of health inequalities is prioritized in high-level initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and many national health strategies. Yet, the focus of much local policy and practice is on behaviour change. Research shows that whilst lifestyle approaches can improve population health, at best they fail to reduce health inequalities because they fail to address upstream structural determinants of behaviour and health outcomes. In health research, most efforts have been directed at three streams of work: understanding causal pathways; evaluating the equity impact of national policy; and developing and evaluating lifestyle/behavioural approaches to health improvement. As a result, there is a dearth of research on effective interventions to reduce health inequalities that can be developed and implemented at a local level. Objective To describe an initiative that aimed to mainstream a focus on health equity in a large-scale research collaboration in the United Kingdom and to assess the impact on organizational culture, research processes and individual research practice. Methods The study used multiple qualitative methods including semi-structured interviews, focus groups and workshops (n = 131 respondents including Public Advisers, university, National Health Service (NHS), and local and document review. Results utilizing Extended Normalization Process Theory (ENPT) and gender mainstreaming theory, the evaluation illuminated (i) the processes developed by Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care North West Coast to integrate ways of thinking and acting to tackle the upstream social determinants of health inequities (i.e. to mainstream a health equity focus) and (ii) the factors that promoted or frustrated these efforts. Conclusions Findings highlight the role of contextual factors and processes aimed at developing and implementing a robust strategy for mainstreaming health equity as building blocks for transformative change in applied health research.


Author(s):  
Poonam Sharma ◽  
Khushboo Aggarwal ◽  
Rajendra Awasthi ◽  
Giriraj T. Kulkarni ◽  
Bhupesh Sharma

Abstract Objectives Vascular dementia (VaD), being strongly associated with metabolic conditions is a major health concern around the world. Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of VaD. This study investigates the efficacy of quercetin and folacin in diabetes induced vascular endothelium dysfunction and related dementia. Methods Single dose streptozotocin (STZ) (50 mg/kg i.p) was administered to albino Wistar rats (male, 200–250 g) by dissolving in citrate buffer. Morris water maze (MWM) and attentional set shifting tests were used to assess the spatial learning, memory, reversal learning, and executive functioning in animals. Body weight, serum glucose, serum nitrite/nitrate, vascular endothelial function, aortic superoxide anion, brains’ oxidative markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive species-TBARS, reduced glutathione-GSH, superoxide dismutase-SOD, and catalase-CAT), mitochondrial enzyme complex (I, II, and IV), inflammatory markers (interleukin-IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-TNF-α, and myeloperoxidase-MPO), and acetylcholinesterase activity-AChE were also assessed. Quercetin (30 mg kg−1/60 mg kg−1) and folacin (30 mg kg−1/60 mg kg−1) were used as the treatment drugs. Donepezil (0.5 mg kg−1) was used as a positive control. Results STZ administered rats showed reduction in learning, memory, reversal learning, executive functioning, impairment in endothelial function, increase in brains’ oxidative stress; inflammation; AChE activity, and decrease in mitochondrial complex (I, II, and IV) activity. Administration of quercetin and folacin in two different doses, significantly attenuated the STZ induced diabetes induced impairments in the behavioral, endothelial, and biochemical parameters. Conclusions STZ administration caused diabetes and VaD which was attenuated by the administration of quercetin and folacin. Therefore, these agents may be studied further for the assessment of their full potential in diabetes induced VaD conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-196
Author(s):  
Vít Jedlička

Tax avoidance is an important element of management in the global economy. Managers use tax havens for reducing a company’s effective tax rate. The most common practices in international tax planning can be divided into three groups: loans and their related interest, royalties, and transfer pricing. The aim of this article is to find the determinants of the tax burden faced by foreign-owned subsidiaries. Therefore, a model was created for the tax burden, focusing on the special position of subsidiaries within international tax planning. For this purpose, taxes/outcomes was established as a new dependent variable. The panel data used include Czech companies that are owned by parent companies located in other EU countries. The model distinguishes EU tax havens from regular member states; sector dummy variables are also included. The regression model that was created did not confirm the assumed dependencies. Rather, it indicated other important determinants: profitability, the share of intangible assets, size, and the dummy variable for the ICT sector. Based on the regression results, the independent variables connected with known tax planning schemes have relatively low importance. The significance of these results can be seen in the subsequent conclusions. First of all, there is no difference between the subsidiaries’ tax burdens based on the parent company’s location. Corporations use international tax planning whether or not they are owned from a tax haven. The second significant conclusion indicates the importance of certain sectors and their attributes concerning the tax burden. Companies from the ICT sector are linked to a lower tax burden. On the other hand, the dependencies within the financial sector are not statistically significant. From the perspective of further research, it would be constructive to incorporate the subsidiary’s position within the group.


Author(s):  
Rebecca Reineke ◽  
Katrin Weiskirchner-Merten

This study examines how spillovers affect a multinational company's choice of an intangible's location and the corresponding transfer price for using this intangible. Our model uses a company with a domestic division in a high-tax country and a foreign division in a low-tax country, where each division's activities generate spillovers on the other division's income. In contrast to previous studies, our analysis incorporates an intangible's optimal location when the company trades off tax minimization and efficient activities. By locating the intangible abroad, the company reduces its tax liability, whereas locating the intangible domestically yields more efficient domestic division activities. For a high spillover of the domestic division, the company locates the intangible domestically. Our model supports empirical evidence regarding intangibles' location that is interpreted as "home bias". Additionally, we show how variations in regulatory parameters-arm's length range and tax rate differential-affect the divisions' activities and the intangible's location.


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