Publications

Before We Reform Tax Policy, We Need to Know What Is Working

| 9 March 2017
Fiscal, Blog | Tags: Tax Expenditures
Congress and President Trump are embarking on what is likely to be a major rewrite of the federal income tax code. Yet, neither they nor anyone else knows whether the hundreds of tax preferences embedded in the law accomplish their stated purposes. ... continue reading

Inheritance Taxation, Corporate Succession and Sustainability

| 6 March 2017
Fiscal, Discussion Notes | Tags: Inheritance Tax, SMEs, Tax Expenditures
Inheritance and estate tax rates are highly heterogeneous across countries. Indeed, the lack of a broadly accepted model of optimal inheritance taxation is reflected in statutory tax rates ranging from 0% in several countries including Australia, Canada and Sweden to 55% in Japan. ... continue reading

Inequality Should Matter for Central Banks

and | 16 February 2017
Monetary, Blog | Tags: Central Banks, Inequality, Quantitative Easing
Central bankers have long been discreet about the links between monetary policy and inequality. They justify this reserve by the fact that their mandates do not charge them with addressing inequality and they generally argue that by providing price stability, central banks maintain the existing ... continue reading

CGE Models vs Educated Guesswork: The Case of the EU-Korea FTA

| 17 January 2017
Trade, Blog | Tags: CETA, TPP, TTIP
A September 2016 research note by the European Commission on the effects of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement has recently been picked up in social media by various commentators. Amid rising skepticism around trade agreements and a tendency to question established wisdom, its 2-fold message is balm for the ... continue reading

Impact of Linking into Global Value Chains on Indian Employment

| 11 January 2017
Trade, Research Papers | Tags: Employment, Global Value Chains, Services Trade
This study examines the industry-level impact of linking into GVCs for the Indian labour market, spanning the period 1995-2011. The analysis includes manufacturing, services, agriculture and allied activities. ... continue reading

Pension Tax Expenditures. A Costly Christmas Gift … Not From Santa

| 4 January 2017
Fiscal, Blog | Tags: Fiscal, Inequality, Pensions, Tax Expenditures
For people living in Switzerland, December 31 was the last day for 2016 contributions into their Pillar 3a retirement accounts – and hence for taking advantage of the exemption from income tax that these payments benefit from. The scheme is one of many examples from ... continue reading

Tax Expenditures and Sustainability. An Overview

| 11 November 2016
Fiscal, Discussion Notes | Tags: Employment, Energy, Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Health, Housing, Inequality, Innovation, Patent Boxes, Pensions, Tax Expenditures, VAT
Fiscal policy has significant effects on a broad sustainability agenda covering long-term economic, social and environmental goals. However, whereas a myriad of actors scrutinize taxation as well as direct government spending with regard to their impact on sustainability, a key feature of fiscal policy has ... continue reading

Climate Change, Carbon Pricing and Energy Tax Expenditures

| 6 October 2016
Fiscal, Blog | Tags: Carbon Pricing, Climate Change, Energy, Tax Expenditures
Climate change is moving up policy agendas worldwide. Last year’s COP21 was yet another wake-up call that the international community needs to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The main outcome of the meeting, the Paris Agreement, was a significant milestone in ... continue reading

South-South Preferential Trade Agreements in Services – Economic Potential Lying Idle

| 4 October 2016
Trade, Blog | Tags: Services Trade, WTO
Imagine the Central African Republic and Cameroon investing in the compatibility and quality of their railway tracks, and eventually merging their railways altogether. The producers in the Central African Republic would get easy access to the sea, while Cameroon’s railway and ports would benefit from ... continue reading

Quantitative Easing Is Back – But Will It Help the Real Economy?

| 15 August 2016
Monetary, Blog | Tags: QE
Last week the Bank of England surprised commentators with the scale of its post-Brexit monetary stimulus package. It included a new £70bn round of quantitative easing (QE), the first since 2012, as well as the more widely predicted 0.25% cut to interest rates. The idea ... continue reading