

Elke Asen was a Policy Analyst with the Tax Foundation’s Center for Global Tax Policy, focusing on international tax issues and tax policy in Europe. Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Elke interned with the EU Delegation in Washington, D.C., the German Development Agency, and a social startup in Munich, Germany. She holds a BS in Economics from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Elke was born and raised in a small town of 500 people outside of Salzburg, Austria, and loves to travel. Road tripping and backpacking are her favorites.
The digitalization of the economy has been a key focus of tax debates in recent years. Our new report reviews digital tax policies around the world with a focus on OECD countries, explores the various flaws and benefits associated with the wide set of proposals, and provides recommendations for lawmakers to consider.
12 min readMost countries provide tax relief to families with children—typically through targeted tax breaks that lower income taxes. While all European OECD countries provide tax relief for families, its extent varies substantially across countries.
2 min readOther countries have shown that providing deductions in line with invested capital costs can have positive impacts both on investment and on debt bias.
7 min readCompared to other tax revenue sources, consumption tax revenue as a share of GDP tends to be relatively stable over time, even during economic downturns.
2 min readAlthough sometimes overlooked in discussions about corporate taxation, capital cost recovery plays an important role in defining a business’s tax base and can impact investment decisions—with far-reaching economic consequences.
27 min readThe extent to which businesses and consumers will benefit from coronavirus relief measures like temporary VAT changes will depend on the VAT base.
2 min readDue to certain VAT exemption thresholds, many small businesses will not be able to benefit from the VAT changes being introduced throughout Europe to provide relief during the COVID-19 crisis.
2 min readOne of the most talked about government economic responses to the COVID-19 crisis is Germany’s Kurzarbeit: the German short-work subsidy scheme.
3 min readCountries around the world are implementing emergency tax measures to support their economies under the coronavirus (COVID-19) threat.
51 min readCountries around the world are implementing emergency tax measures to support their debilitated economies under the coronavirus (COVID-19) threat.
7 min readThe OECD presented its preliminary impact assessment on the Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 proposals. The impact assessment includes estimated revenue and investment effects presented at a country group level (low-, middle- and high-income countries and investment hubs). The OECD estimates global corporate income tax revenues to increase by 4 percent if both pillars get implemented, equaling $100 billion annually.
4 min read