Comparing Europe’s Tax Systems: Corporate Taxes
According to the corporate tax component of the 2021 International Tax Competitiveness Index, Latvia and Estonia have the best corporate tax systems in the OECD.
Expert
Daniel Bunn
President and CEO
Daniel Bunn is President and CEO of the Tax Foundation. Daniel has been with the organization since 2018 and, prior to becoming President, successfully built its Center for Global Tax Policy, expanding the Tax Foundation’s reach and impact around the world.
Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Daniel worked in the United States Senate at the Joint Economic Committee as part of Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) Social Capital Project and on the policy staff for both Senator Lee and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC). In his time in the Senate, Daniel developed legislative initiatives on tax, trade, regulatory, and budget policy.
He has a master’s degree in Economic Policy from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from North Greenville University in South Carolina.
Daniel lives in Halethorpe, Maryland, with his wife and their three children.
Written Works
How Would House Dems’ Tax Plan Change Competitiveness of U.S. Tax Code?
The legislation put forward by Democratic members of the House of Representatives would reverse many of the 2017 reforms while increasing burdens on businesses and workers.
Movers and Shakers in the International Tax Competitiveness Index
The Index provides lessons for policymakers when they are thinking of ways to remove distortions from their tax systems and remain competitive against their peers. The further up a country moves on the Index, the more likely it is to have broader tax bases, relatively lower rates, and policies that are less distortionary to individual or business decisions. Going the other way reveals a policy preference for narrow tax bases, special tax policy tools, and rules that make it difficult for compliance.
International Tax Competitiveness Index 2021
A well-structured tax code (that’s both competitive and neutral) is easy for taxpayers to comply with and can promote economic development while raising sufficient revenue for a government’s priorities.
Testimony: EU Parliament Subcommittee on Tax Matters Hearing on the Impact of National Tax Reforms on the EU Economy
Tax Foundation testimony on the diversity of tax systems within the EU, three important ways to consider reforms by Member States, and several recommendations for the EU Parliament’s Subcommittee on Tax Matters to consider.
Choose Your Own Adventure: Global Minimum Tax Edition
Over the course of the last year, it has become clear that Democratic lawmakers want to change U.S. international tax rules. However, as proposals have surfaced in recent weeks, there are clear divides among various proposals.
Treasury Minimum Tax Argument Relies on Narrow Interpretation of Current/Proposed Rules
As Congress prepares to rewrite some portion of the current international tax rules, it’s hoped that they are able to achieve a more principled approach and one that is not so subject to obfuscation and misinterpretation.
Tax Foundation Response to Ireland Department of Finance Consultation Document: Consultation on OECD International Tax Proposals
The recent effort to change international tax rules has been one of significant contradictions. The proposals have been driven by arguments about the need to raise additional revenues, to stabilize corporate tax rates, or to prevent offshoring. However, upon closer examination, these three arguments fail to capture what is occurring.
Tax Foundation Comments on the Wyden, Warner, Brown Discussion Draft
The proposed restructuring of the GILTI and FDII regimes makes several changes to the tax base that are largely offsetting, leaving virtually all the revenue potential to be determined by the tax rates on GILTI and FDII and the haircuts on foreign tax credits. Lawmakers should carefully weigh the trade-offs between higher tax revenues and competitiveness.
GILTI of Neglecting Losses
As lawmakers are reviewing international tax rules and determining what to change and update, they should pay attention to the way GILTI interacts with profitable and loss-making companies.
Adoption of Global Minimum Tax Could Raise U.S. Revenue…or Not
This interaction between the U.S. proposals and those that may be put into law in foreign jurisdictions should give lawmakers caution when evaluating the revenue potential of changes to GILTI.
Will FDII Stay or Will it Go?
While the Biden administration has certainly proposed to remove FDII, it is not clear that Congress is on board with that approach.
Intellectual Property Came Back to U.S. after Tax Reform, but Proposals Could Change That
Intellectual property is a key driver in the current economy. Among other things, intellectual property includes patents for life-saving drugs and vaccines and software that runs applications on phones and computers.
Piling on the GILTI Verdicts
The Biden administration has proposed to significantly increase the tax burden on foreign income through a policy known as Global Intangible Low-Tax Income (GILTI). While the administration’s rhetoric focuses on doubling the tax rate on GILTI from 10.5 percent to 21 percent, this is less than half the story.
Anti-Base Erosion Provisions and Territorial Tax Systems in OECD Countries
From a policy perspective it is appropriate to combat base erosion and profit shifting, but policymakers need to keep in mind the need for simplicity to avoid increasing the compliance burden on taxpayers and administrative burdens on tax authorities.
A Global Minimum Tax and Cross-Border Investment: Risks & Solutions
Leaders around the world are quickly moving to finalize an agreement on a global minimum tax in 2021, based on the so-called “Pillar Two” proposal from the OECD.
New Research Shows Major Changes for U.S. Companies Earning Profits from Ireland
New data show that the recent policy changes that have been implemented by the U.S., Ireland, and dozens of other countries are having an impact. The question for policymakers is whether they will take the time to understand these impacts before jumping to the next project to change international tax rules yet again.
Carve-ins and Carve-outs: Open Questions for Global Tax Reform
There has been some confusion about how some parts of the recent G7 agreement on new tax rules for multinational companies might work. The new policies would target the largest and most profitable multinationals and bring in a global minimum tax.
Savings and Investment: The Tax Treatment of Stock and Retirement Accounts in the OECD
To encourage private retirement savings, OECD countries commonly provide tax-preferred retirement accounts. However, in many countries, including the United States, the system of tax-preferred retirement accounts is complex, which may deter savers from using such accounts—and potentially lower overall savings.
Two Important Issues that Must Be Resolved in “Global Tax Reform”
If the U.S. is suggesting a 15 percent effective rate as the minimum acceptable rate for a global agreement, then the tax bases of the various minimum taxes adopted as part of the agreement should be aligned to minimize complexities and unintended consequences.