Scandinavian countries are well known for their broad social safety nets and their public funding of services such as universal health care, higher education, parental leave, and child and elderly care. High levels of government spending naturally require high levels of taxation. So, how do these countries raise their tax revenues?
7 min read
For the past 12 years, the International Tax Competitiveness Index has examined which countries have truly embraced tax competitiveness and which ones have lagged behind. Our experts examine how country rankings have changed over time and identify the largest movers and shakers.
5 min read
The recently proposed UK budget contains several tax measures that put a greater burden on the working class and ultimately fails to tackle the deeper structural problems of the UK’s tax code.
6 min read
Who really pays for European welfare states? Many assume the answer is obvious: high-income earners contribute while low-income earners benefit. However, that assumption is only partly true, and often misleading.
6 min read
Spain’s central government could learn some valuable lessons from its regional governments and other European countries about sound tax policy.
7 min read
Sean Bray interviewed Dr. Aitor Navarro, Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance, about the future of the EU tax mix.
16 min read
While there are many factors that affect a country’s economic performance, taxes play an important role. A well-structured tax code is easy for taxpayers to comply with and can promote economic development while raising sufficient revenue for a government’s priorities.
93 min read
Sean Bray interviews Dr. Jean-Philippe van West, Professor of International and European tax law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, about the future of the EU tax mix.
10 min read
With much of the continent celebrating Oktoberfest, it is a great time to examine beer taxes across Europe. Hefty beer taxes increase the price consumers pay for their libations.
5 min read
The United Kingdom Treasury’s proposal to increase in the value-added tax (VAT) registration threshold would hold back small business growth, reduce the efficiency of the VAT system, and lead to a revenue shortfall.
4 min read
Cigarette smokers in the European Union pay far more in excise taxes than they do for the cigarettes themselves. Our latest map illustrates the wide variance in cigarette excise taxes across EU Member States.
5 min read
The European Commission proposed new budget options for 2028 to 2034. It is worth zooming in on one new proposal for revenues that would support EU-level spending. The “Corporate Resource for Europe,” or CORE, provides a good opportunity to think through how best to raise revenue for the EU budget.
5 min read
Policymakers continue to debate international tax rules after the US gained agreement on a new approach at the G7 that could result in US anti-avoidance policies existing side-by-side with the global minimum tax.
4 min read
Tax Foundation Europe’s Sean Bray had the opportunity to interview Dr. Stefanie Geringer, a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Law at the University of Vienna and Masaryk University Brno, a certified tax advisor and manager of tax at BDO Austria, about the future of the EU tax mix.
14 min read
Tax Foundation Europe’s Sean Bray had the opportunity to interview Dr. Dominika Langenmayr, Professor of Economics at Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, about the future of the EU tax mix.
15 min read
Between Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Trump’s uncertain policies towards Europe, and Poland’s attempt to increase domestic defense capabilities, raising revenue has become one of the most critical topics in the campaign.
7 min read
Developed countries raise tax revenue through individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, social insurance taxes, taxes on goods and services, and property taxes—the combination of which determines how distortionary or neutral a tax system is.
4 min read
Sean Bray interviewed Professor of Business Accounting and Taxation at the University of Kiel, Jost Heckemeyer, about the future of the EU tax mix. The interview shows that there is a trade-off between stability and flexibility in European tax policymaking. It also shows that there ought to be a balance between fairness and competitiveness when thinking about improving tax policy.
16 min read
Tax Foundation Europe’s Sean Bray had the opportunity to interview Professor of International Taxation at the University of Mannheim Business School, Christoph Spengel, about the future of the EU tax mix.
15 min read
Without aligning fiscal discipline with pro-growth tax policies, Germany and the EU risk high deficits, mounting debt, and sustained inflation.
5 min read