Bank Taxes in Europe
Today’s map shows which European OECD countries implemented financial stability contributions (FSCs), commonly referred to as “bank taxes.”
2 min read
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Reliance on Property Taxes in Europe
Property taxes are levied on the assets of an individual or business. There are different types of property taxes, with recurrent taxes on immovable property (such as property taxes on land and buildings) the only ones levied by all countries covered. Other types of property taxes include estate, inheritance, and gift taxes, net wealth taxes, and taxes on financial and capital transactions.
1 min read
Reliance on Consumption Taxes in Europe
Hungary relies the most on consumption tax revenue, at 45.3 percent of total tax revenue, followed by Latvia and Estonia at 45.1 percent and 42.4 percent, respectively.
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Reliance on Social Insurance Tax Revenue in Europe
Social insurance taxes are the second largest tax revenue source in European OECD countries, at an average of 29.5 percent of total tax revenue.
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Reliance on Individual Income Tax Revenue in Europe
Denmark relies the most on revenue from individual income taxes, at 52.4 percent of total tax revenue, followed by Iceland and Ireland at 40.8 percent and 31.5 percent, respectively.
1 min read
Reliance on Corporate Income Tax Revenue in Europe
Despite declining corporate income tax rates over the last 30 years in Europe (and other parts of the world), average revenue from corporate income taxes as a share of total tax revenue has not changed significantly compared to 1990.
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The European Commission and the Taxation of the Digital Economy
The consultation on the EU’s digital levy provides an opportunity for policymakers and taxpayers to reflect on the underlying issues of digital taxation and potential consequences from a digital levy. Unless the EU digital levy is designed with an OECD agreement in mind, it is likely to cause more uncertainty in cross-border tax policy.
12 min read
Financial Transaction Taxes in Europe
Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom currently levy a type of financial transaction tax
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Actionable VAT Policy Gap in Europe
Value-added taxes (VAT) make up approximately one-fifth of total tax revenues in Europe. However, European countries differ significantly in how efficiently they raise VAT revenues. One way to measure a country’s VAT efficiency is the VAT Gap.
3 min read
Tax Subsidies for R&D Expenditures in Europe
Many countries incentivize business investment in research and development (R&D), intending to foster innovation. A common approach is to provide direct government funding for R&D activity. However, a significant number of jurisdictions also offer R&D tax incentives.
3 min read
Wealth Taxes in Europe, 2020
Net wealth taxes are recurrent taxes on an individual’s wealth, net of debt. The concept of a net wealth tax is similar to a real property tax. But instead of only taxing real estate, it covers all wealth an individual owns. As today’s map shows, only three European countries covered levy a net wealth tax, namely Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. France and Italy levy wealth taxes on selected assets but not on an individual’s net wealth per se.
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Tax Treaty Network of European Countries
Tax treaties usually provide mechanisms to eliminate double taxation and can provide certainty and stability for taxpayers and encourage foreign investment and trade. A broad network of tax treaties contributes to the competitiveness of an economy.
1 min read
Real Property Taxes in Europe
High property taxes levied not only on land but also on buildings and structures can discourage investment because they disincentivise investing in infrastructure, which businesses would have to pay additional tax on. For this reason, it may also influence business location decisions away from places with high property tax.
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Distilled Spirits Taxes in Europe
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The New EU Budget is Light on Details of Tax Proposals
The European Council recently agreed on a new multiannual budget and a recovery program, which sets EU budget levels for 2021-2027 totals €1 trillion (US $1.2 trillion). The lack of details on the various tax proposals and the eventual need for revenue sources to finance new EU debt mean there is a lot of work left for policymakers in Brussels to do.
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Tax Policy Proposals for the German EU Presidency
While much of Germany’s EU presidency agenda is focused on policies to ensure economic stability and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a pair of tax proposals that the country is planning to develop and move forward at the EU level: a financial transaction tax and a minimum effective tax.
5 min read
European Countries Might Consider Scrapping the Bank Tax for Greater Financial Support
In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, some governments are seeking to cut bank taxes to enhance financial support to businesses and public investment projects.
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EU: The Next Generation
The European Commission announced new budget plans including loans, grants, and some revenue offsets. The proposals follow other support mechanisms for workers and businesses that were designed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic shutdown.
5 min read
Digital Services Taxes: Do They Comply with International Tax, Trade, and EU Law?
A digital services tax like the one implemented by France likely violates both the General Agreement on Trade in Services and a model U.S. free trade agreement. However, it is uncertain whether meaningful relief could be obtained under either regime.
26 min read