Real Property Taxes in Europe, 2023
High property taxes levied not only on land but also on buildings and structures can discourage investment in infrastructure, which businesses would have to pay additional tax on.
2 min read
Expert
Alex Mengden
Global Policy Analyst
Alex Mengden is a Policy Analyst at the Tax Foundation, where he focuses on international tax issues and tax policy in Europe. He holds a BA in philosophy and economics from the University of Bayreuth and an MSc in economics from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Alex tutored classes in public finance for undergraduate students at LMU Munich. He also worked on economic policy research for IREF Europe and previously interned at the Cato Institute, ifo Institute, and the Institute of Economic Affairs.
He currently lives in Munich, Germany, and spends his free time cooking, reading, and enjoying the outdoors.
Latest Work
Anti-Avoidance Policies in a Pillar Two World
The global minimum tax agreement known as Pillar Two is intended to curb profit shifting. However, OECD countries already have a variety of mechanisms in place that seek to prevent base erosion and profit shifting by multinational corporations.
40 min read
BEFIT: One-Stop-Shop or One-More-Stop?
On 12 September, the European Commission released a proposal called “Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation” (BEFIT) and two associated proposals on transfer pricing and a Head of Office tax system.
6 min read
Carbon Taxes in Europe, 2023
In recent years, several countries have taken measures to reduce carbon emissions, including instituting environmental regulations, emissions trading systems, and carbon taxes. In 1990, Finland was the world’s first country to introduce a carbon tax.
4 min read
Net Operating Loss Carryforward and Carryback Provisions in Europe, 2023
Carryover tax provisions help businesses “smooth” their risk and income, making the tax code more neutral across investments and over time.
3 min read
Patent Box Regimes in Europe, 2023
The aim of patent boxes is generally to encourage and attract local research and development (R&D) and to incentivize businesses to locate IP in the country. However, patent boxes can introduce another level of complexity to a tax system, and some recent research questions whether patent boxes are actually effective in driving innovation.
3 min read
Germany’s Tax Proposals: Enhancing Loss Treatment but Dropping the Super-Deduction
For policymakers in Germany, corporate taxation stands out as a promising area for reform. See Germany tax reform and Germany tax proposals.
5 min read
Examining the EU Corporate Own Resources Proposal: Implications and Challenges
The European Commission proposed a new source of revenue as part of its second basket of own resources: a “temporary statistical own resource based on company profits.” This is an attempt to bolster the EU’s budget as it repays its debt.
5 min read
The U.S. Tax Burden on Labor, 2023
Although the U.S. has a progressive tax system and a relatively low tax burden compared to the OECD average, average-wage workers still pay more than 30 percent of their wages in taxes.
4 min read