Tax Burden on Labor in Europe, 2024
To make the taxation of labor more efficient, policymakers should understand the inputs into the tax wedge, and taxpayers should understand how their tax burden funds government services.
4 min read
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A Comparison of the Tax Burden on Labor in the OECD, 2024
Governments often justify higher tax burdens with more extensive public services. However, the cost of these services can be more than half of an average worker’s salary.
16 min read
Overview and Analysis of the Impact of Marginal Taxes on High Incomes in the European Union
The recent push to increase taxes on the wealthy has gained significant traction across Europe. This report highlights the obstacles and complex interplay between tax policy and economic behavior, suggesting that simply raising tax rates on the wealthy might not yield the intended social benefits.
42 min read
New Report Identifies Challenges with Global Minimum Tax Implementation in the EU
European Union Member States are in the process of implementing the global minimum tax in line with a directive unanimously agreed to at the end of 2022.
3 min read
Net Operating Loss Carryforward and Carryback Provisions in Europe, 2024
Carryover provisions help businesses “smooth” their risk and income, making the tax code more neutral across investments and over time.
3 min read
The European Election and Tax Policy: Mapping Tax Policy Visions across European Political Groups
On Europe Day, our experts explore how the decisions made in the upcoming elections will shape the trajectory of the continent for years to come.
4 min read
Digital Services Taxes in Europe, 2024
About half of all European OECD countries have either announced, proposed, or implemented a DST. Because these taxes mainly impact U.S. companies and are thus perceived as discriminatory, the United States responded to the policies with retaliatory tariff threats, urging countries to abandon unilateral measures.
4 min read
Digital Taxation around the World
The outcome of the digital tax debate will likely shape domestic and international taxation for decades to come. Designing these policies based on sound principles will be essential in ensuring they can withstand challenges arising in the rapidly changing economic and technological environment of the 21st century.
58 min read
Estate, Inheritance, and Gift Taxes in Europe, 2024
As tempting as inheritance, estate, and gift taxes might look—especially when the OECD notes them as a way to reduce wealth inequality—their limited capacity to collect revenue and their negative impact on entrepreneurial activity, saving, and work should make policymakers consider their repeal instead of boosting them.
2 min read
The Impact of BEPS 1.0
The global landscape of international corporate taxation is undergoing significant transformations as jurisdictions grapple with the difficulty of defining and apportioning corporate income for the purposes of tax.
22 min read
Excise Duties on Electricity in Europe, 2024
EU Member States should seek to minimize the rate and broaden the base of electricity duties, consolidating their rates to the required minimum rate.
3 min read
Portugal’s Personal Income Tax System: High Top Rate, Threshold, and Tax Credits
Portugal’s personal income tax system levies high tax rates on an unusually narrow set of high earners, striking a poor balance between earnings incentives and revenue contributions.
4 min read
Dividend Tax Rates in Europe, 2024
In many countries, corporate profits are subject to two layers of taxation: the corporate income tax at the entity level when the corporation earns income, and the dividend tax or capital gains tax at the individual level when that income is passed to its shareholders as either dividends or capital gains.
2 min read
Capital Gains Tax Rates in Europe, 2024
In many European countries, investment income, such as dividends and capital gains, is taxed at a different rate than wage income.
2 min read
Portugal’s Corporate Taxes Stifle Investment and Economic Growth
Portugal has the second highest top corporate tax rate in the OECD at 31.5 percent, including multiple top-up taxes. Unlike most OECD countries, Portugal imposes a highly progressive tax structure on corporate income.
6 min read
Launching Tax Foundation Europe
As the world of tax policy becomes more interconnected, the Tax Foundation is stepping up, recognizing the pressing need for informed and principled tax policy education in an ever-evolving landscape.
The Fatal Flaw of Pillar Two
Pillar Two, the international global minimum tax agreement, has a considerable chance of failing and may ultimately allow the same problems it was designed to address.
6 min read
Wealth Taxes in Europe, 2024
Only three European countries levy a net wealth tax—Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. France and Italy levy wealth taxes on selected assets.
4 min read
Savings and Investment: The Tax Treatment of Stock and Retirement Accounts in the OECD and Select EU Countries
Tax-preferred private retirement accounts often have complex rules and limitations. Universal savings accounts could be a simpler alternative—or addition—to many countries’ current system of private retirement savings accounts.
19 min read
Tax Foundation Europe Launches Website and Prepares Brussels Office
The landscape of tax policy is changing—and we at the Tax Foundation are changing with it.
3 min read