Cristina Enache writes on the economics of tax policy and is the author of the Spanish Regional Tax Competitiveness Index. She was formerly the Director of Research at Civismo, an economic research organization based in Spain. She also served as head of research at Institución Futuro, a regional think tank based in Navarra in northern Spain. She is also currently Secretary-General at the World Taxpayers Associations and General Manager of the Spanish Taxpayers Union, which she joined in 2016.
Cristina has a degree in economics from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest and a master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Navarra.
While the tax and benefit system can be successful in keeping low-income working households out of poverty and encouraging workforce participation, high marginal tax rates like the one observed in the case of this Australian working parent act as barriers to upward mobility.
6 min read
Canadian workers could face up to two important marginal tax rate spikes and lose 60 percent of additional earnings to the provincial health-care premium.
4 min read
Reshaping some of these policies to generate a smoother variation of marginal tax rates over different income levels would likely raise labor supply and encourage the upward mobility of workers and especially that of average-income workers.
5 min read
High marginal tax rates can act as barriers to upward mobility, discouraging people from advancing in their careers.
5 min read
Research has shown that spikes in tax rates can act as barriers to upward mobility. High marginal tax rates might directly influence the decisions workers make about accepting a raise, working additional hours, or whether they might remain on government benefits.
8 min read
Ireland and France levy the highest excise duties on cigarettes in the EU, at €8.85 ($10.47) and €6.88 ($8.13) per 20-cigarette pack, respectively.
3 min read
With this new VAT directive, the EU has invited member states to adopt policies that create new complexities, are poorly targeted, and undermine an Own Resource.
5 min read
Only three European OECD countries levy a net wealth tax, namely Norway, Spain, and Switzerland.
3 min read
Before competing in the UEFA Champions League, football clubs in Europe also compete to lure the best players.
4 min read
In recent years, EU countries have undertaken a series of tax reforms designed to maintain tax revenue levels while supporting investment and economic growth. However, not all tax reforms were created equal.
7 min read
In many countries, investment income, such as dividends and capital gains, is taxed at a different rate than wage income. Denmark levies the highest top capital gains tax among European OECD countries, followed by Norway, Finland, and France.
4 min read
The VAT is a consumption tax assessed on the value added in each production stage of a good or service. Every business along the value chain receives a tax credit for the VAT already paid. The end consumer does not, making it a tax on final consumption.
4 min read
Spain should follow the example of Madrid, the country’s most competitive region. A more efficient income tax system is a better objective than just focusing on incentives for foreigners to change their tax residence.
5 min read
Norway’s proposed reductions in income tax have the potential to increase disposable income for workers that can potentially raise consumption and contribute to economic growth. However, the increase of the wealth and indirect taxes is likely to step up the complexity of the tax system and create additional distortions.
3 min read
While other countries in Europe are working towards introducing tax cuts or delaying the introduction of new taxes to stimulate economic recovery by supporting business investment and employment, Spain is putting more fiscal pressure on businesses.
3 min read
Austria should not shy from lowering the corporate income tax rate sooner or even implementing a more ambitious tax reform to improve its tax competitiveness and contribute to greater economic growth.
3 min read
Tax competition has proven to be key in keeping tax hikes under control in some regions of Spain as regional governments look to copy Madrid’s tax reforms.
6 min read
The Spanish Regional Tax Competitiveness Index allows policymakers, businesses, and taxpayers to evaluate and measure how their regions’ tax systems compare and serves as a road map for policymakers to reform their tax systems and make their regions more competitive and attractive for entrepreneurs and residents.
7 min read
A VAT tax reform that eliminates VAT reduced rates would decrease compliance costs and allow for a more rapid economic recovery. Policymakers should focus on simplifying VAT rules and making them more efficient and neutral by broadening their tax bases and eliminating reduced rates and unnecessary tax exemptions.
4 min read