scholarly journals Closing the Gap

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 80-90
Author(s):  
Daniel Ribi

Rising income inequality is a pressing political issue in Canada and internationally. Yet, policymakers in advanced economies have thus far failed to meaningfully address the issue. Tax policy is one of the primary tools available for governments to structure local distributive realities, but there is uncertainty regarding the ability of governments to take effective action in a globalized world economy. This policy brief puts forward viable reforms. The Canadian federal government can mitigate income inequality in Canada through targeted corporate and personal income tax reforms and a new approach to compliance enforcement.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-163
Author(s):  
Irena Palić ◽  
Sabina Hodžić ◽  
Ksenija Dumičić

Abstract Background: In recent years’ income inequality has been an economic issue. The primary instrument for redistributing income is personal income tax. However, based on economic theory income inequality concerns indicators such as wages, transfer payments, taxes, social security contributions, and geographical mobility. Objectives: The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of certain labor market indicators on personal income taxation in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H). Methods/Approach: Since personal income taxation consists of a very broad definition and for the purpose of this research only, income from dependent (employment) activity is observed. The econometric analysis is conducted using error correction modeling, as well as forecast errors variance decomposition. Results: The error correction model is estimated, and the cointegrating equation indicates that monthly wage and number of employees statistically significantly positively affect personal income taxes in FB&H in the long-run. After two years, the selected labor market indicators explain a considerable part of forecasting error variance of personal income tax revenues. Conclusions: The implementation of reforms in the labor market and tax policies of the FB&H is suggested. In order to achieve necessary reforms, efficient governance and general stable political environment are required.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Piketty ◽  
Nancy Qian

This paper evaluates income tax reforms in China and India. The combination of fast income growth and under-indexed tax schedule in China implies the fraction of the Chinese population subject to income tax has increased from less than 0.1 percent in 1986 to about 20 percent in 2008, while it has stagnated around 2–3 percent in India. Chinese income tax revenues, as a share of GDP, increased from less than 0.1 percent in 1986 to about 1.5 percent in 2005 and 2.5 percent in 2008, while the constant adaptation of exemption levels and income brackets in India have caused them to stagnate around 0.5 percent of GDP. (JEL D31, H24, 015, 023, P23, P35)


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-399
Author(s):  
Monal A. Abdel-Baki ◽  
Nirmala Dorasamy

The efficacy of the 2005-Personal Income Tax (PIT) reform in enhancing the macroeconomic performance in Egypt is tested using a structural vector autoregressive model. The results reveal that PIT reforms have successfully generated jobs and accelerated GDP growth. The reforms may cause mild inflation in the short-run, but their long-term effects are non-inflationary. This is the first effort to assess the PIT reforms in Egypt, with the aim of helping the new government to assess preceding policies and pursue the successful ones. The research is also an important lesson for the leaders of emerging economies encountering similar circumstances to enact reforms and to perpetuate economic growth and sociopolitical stability.


Author(s):  
Anita Puzule

Personal income tax and social insurance contributions must be paid on wages into the budget, the revenue of which most directly affects the changes in the number of persons engaged in the national economy and the increase of the average wage. To be able to evaluate how favourable the personal income tax systems applicable to employees are in the Baltic States, the author compares the factors that affect taxation and the tax burden in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which have experienced tax reforms in the recent years. The aim of the research is to perform a comparative study of the requirements and issues of personal income tax application to wages in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The monographic, comparative and analytical analysis, logical construction, and grouping methods have been used in the research study. Based on the research study, the author has concluded that despite the similarities in the personal income tax systems, each Baltic state has different normative regulation. The tax burden on Estonian taxpayers relative to wages is lower than that in Lithuania and Latvia.  


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 971-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Medeiros ◽  
Pedro Herculano Guimarães Ferreira de Souza ◽  
Fábio Ávila de Castro

Object: the level and evolution of income inequality among adults in Brazil between 2006 and 2012.Objectives: to calculate the level of inequality, its trend over the years and the share of income growth appropriated by different social groups.Methodology: We combined tax data from the Annual Personal Income Tax Returns (Declaração Anual de Ajuste do Imposto de Renda da Pessoa Física - DIRPF) and the Brazilian National Household Survey (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios - PNAD) to construct a complete distribution of total income among adults in Brazil. We applied Pareto interpolations to income tax tabulations to arrive at the distribution within income groups. We tested the results, comparing the PNAD to the Brazilian Consumption and Expenditure Survey (Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares - POF) and to data from the Census Subsample Survey (Census.Results: We found evidence that income inequality in Brazil is higher than previously thought and that it remained stable between 2006 and 2012; in making these findings, we thus diverged from most studies on the dynamics of inequality in Brazil.. There was income growth, but the top incomes have appropriated most of this growth.


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