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.
Latest Work
Digital Services Taxes in Europe, 2019
4 min readThe Economics Behind Thin-Cap Rules
6 min readThin-Cap Rules in Europe
2 min readHow Patent Boxes Impact Business Decisions
As with every change in tax policy, there are trade-offs. The Modified Nexus Approach adds an additional layer of complexity to the already complex issue of taxing IP income. Linking tax breaks for IP income to its associated R&D activity has changed the game and will likely result in some businesses restructuring and relocating their IP assets and R&D activity. Effective tax rates on IP income will likely play an important role in determining optimal locations, giving measures such as R&D credits more importance. Whether this new approach to IP taxation will impact profit shifting and which countries will be the winners and losers is yet to be seen.
6 min readPatent Box Regimes in Europe, 2019
4 min readCFC Rules in Europe
2 min readDividend Tax Rates in Europe, 2019
2 min readSwitzerland Referendum Approves Tax Reform
15 min readReliance on Property Taxes in Europe
1 min readTax Burden on Labor in Europe, 2019
2 min readReliance on Consumption Taxes in Europe
2 min readNew Details on the Austrian Tax Reform Plan
14 min readSources of Government Revenue in the OECD, 2019 Update
OECD countries have on average become more reliant on consumption taxes and less reliant on individual income taxes. These policy changes matter, considering that consumption-based taxes raise revenue with less economic damage and distortionary effects than taxes on income.
10 min read