Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa : a Survey of Issues for a Number of Countries

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa : a Survey of Issues for a Number of Countries PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 99

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Book Description
This paper studies tax policies as currently pursued in a number of sub-Saharan African countries, against the backdrop of economic globalisation and reduced trade tax revenue. It tries to come up with answers to the following question: what are most effective and (economically) efficient ways to raise sufficient domestic (tax) revenues? To analyse this, first, a normative framework for the major individual domestic tax interventions - broad based and specific taxation of consumption and taxation of income, both at the personal and the corporate level - has been developed, based on a thorough review of the literature. This framework is subsequently used to assess the tax systems as found in fifteen sub-Saharan African countries. The analysis shows that there is much room for improvement in VAT systems (thresholds may be higher, the number of exemptions may be decreased) in corporate income tax systems (ending exemptions, streamlining depreciation allowances, aligning rates, scaling back tax incentives) as well as in excises and personal income tax systems. These improvements will enable raising more revenue, as well as a more efficient collection of taxes.

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa : a Survey of Issues for a Number of Countries

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa : a Survey of Issues for a Number of Countries PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 99

Get Book Here

Book Description
This paper studies tax policies as currently pursued in a number of sub-Saharan African countries, against the backdrop of economic globalisation and reduced trade tax revenue. It tries to come up with answers to the following question: what are most effective and (economically) efficient ways to raise sufficient domestic (tax) revenues? To analyse this, first, a normative framework for the major individual domestic tax interventions - broad based and specific taxation of consumption and taxation of income, both at the personal and the corporate level - has been developed, based on a thorough review of the literature. This framework is subsequently used to assess the tax systems as found in fifteen sub-Saharan African countries. The analysis shows that there is much room for improvement in VAT systems (thresholds may be higher, the number of exemptions may be decreased) in corporate income tax systems (ending exemptions, streamlining depreciation allowances, aligning rates, scaling back tax incentives) as well as in excises and personal income tax systems. These improvements will enable raising more revenue, as well as a more efficient collection of taxes.

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Zmarak Shalizi
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821311653
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
Trade is an essential driver for sustained economic growth, and growth is necessary for poverty reduction. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where three-fourths of the poor live in rural areas, spurring growth and generating income and employment opportunities is critical for poverty reduction strategies. Seventy percent of the population lives in rural areas, where livelihoods are largely dependent on the production and export of raw agricultural commodities such as coffee, cocoa, and cotton, whose prices in real terms have been steadily declining over the past decades. The deterioration in the terms of trade resulted for Africa in a steady contraction of its share in global trade over the past 50 years. Diversification of agriculture into higher-value, non-traditional exports is seen today as a priority for most of these countries. Some African countries-in particular, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, CÔte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Zimbabwe-have managed to diversify their agricultural sector into non-traditional, high-value-added products such as cut flowers and plants, fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. To learn from these experiences and better assist other African countries in designing and implementing effective agricultural growth and diversification strategies, the World Bank has launched a comprehensive set of studies under the broad theme of "Agricultural Trade Facilitation and Non-Traditional Agricultural Export Development in Sub-Saharan Africa." This study provides an in-depth analysis of the current structure and dynamics of the European import market for flowers and fresh horticulture products. It aims to help client countries, industry stakeholders, and development partners to get a better understanding of these markets, and to assess the prospects and opportunities they offer for Sub-Saharan African exporters.

Taxing Africa

Taxing Africa PDF Author: Mick Moore
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1783604557
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
Taxation has been seen as the domain of charisma-free accountants, lawyers and number crunchers – an unlikely place to encounter big societal questions about democracy, equity or good governance. Yet it is exactly these issues that pervade conversations about taxation among policymakers, tax collectors, civil society activists, journalists and foreign aid donors in Africa today. Tax has become viewed as central to African development. Written by leading international experts, Taxing Africa offers a cutting-edge analysis on all aspects of the continent's tax regime, displaying the crucial role such arrangements have on attempts to create social justice and push economic advancement. From tax evasion by multinational corporations and African elites to how ordinary people navigate complex webs of 'informal' local taxation, the book examines the potential for reform, and how space might be created for enabling locally-led strategies.

Tax Revenue in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tax Revenue in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Mr.Dhaneshwar Ghura
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1451855680
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 26

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Book Description
An analysis of data for 39 sub-Saharan African countries during 1985–96 indicates that the variations in tax revenue-GDP ratios within this group are influenced by economic policies and the level of corruption. Namely, these ratios rise with declining inflation, implementation of structural reforms, rising human capital (a proxy for the provision of public services by the government), and declining corruption. The paper confirms that the tax revenue ratio rises with income, and that elements of a country’s tax base (such as the share of agriculture in GDP and the degree of openness) influence tax revenue.

Tax Effort in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tax Effort in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Ms.Janet Gale Stotsky
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1451852940
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Book Description
Many sub-Saharan African countries face difficulty in raising tax revenue for public purposes. This study uses panel data on 43 sub-Saharan African countries during 1990-95 to measure the determinants of the tax share in GDP and to construct a measure of tax effort. The analysis suggests that the countries with a relatively high tax share tend to have a relatively high index of tax effort, although these results are not uniform across the countries. The results can be used to provide guidance on to the proper mix of fiscal policy in the event of budgetary imbalance.

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Framework for Analysis

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Framework for Analysis PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Book Description
Report on tax policy which strenthen the role of the price mechanism in allocating resources, based on the existing tax structures of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tax Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa

Tax Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa, Sub-Saharan
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description


Tax simplification - An African Perspective Edited by Chris Evans, Riël Franzsen, Elizabeth (Lilla) Stack 2019

Tax simplification - An African Perspective Edited by Chris Evans, Riël Franzsen, Elizabeth (Lilla) Stack 2019 PDF Author: Edited by Chris Evans, Riël Franzsen, Elizabeth (Lilla) Stack
Publisher: Pretoria University Law Press
ISBN: 1920538968
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 371

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Book Description
Tax simplification - An African Perspective Edited by Chris Evans, Riël Franzsen, Elizabeth (Lilla) Stack 2019 ISBN: 978-1-920538-96-5 Pages: 347 Print version: Available Electronic version: Free PDF available About the publication Why are tax systems so complex and what are the causes and consequences of such complexity? The simplification of tax systems is one of the most important issues faced today in worldwide efforts to modernise and strengthen government finance and revenue raising capacities. Nowhere is it more important than throughout the rapidly emerging economies of the dynamic African region. This volume brings together contributions in this field from a conference held in South Africa in October 2018 and provides a unique synthesis of knowledge and understanding gained from the specialist expertise and diverse backgrounds brought to the tax simplification debate by those authors. Featured topics include: Taxpayers’ rights to simplicity The African experience of tax simplification Simplification trends among small and medium sized entities Pension tax simplification Sources of complexity in value added taxation Simplification of recurrent property taxes Complexity and approaches to international taxation Complexity and taxation of multinational enterprises Lessons from overseas. The analysis of these topics includes timely and relevant perspectives from the experience in other jurisdictions including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The volume will be an essential reference for researchers and others interested in the field from academia, government, legal and accounting practice and public policy organisations in African and other countries worldwide.Table of Contents Preface Foreword – Tax Simplification in the United Kingdom: Some Personal Reflections John Whiting Contributors Introduction Elizabeth (Lilla) Stack, Chris Evans and Riël Franzsen Tax Complexity and Tax Simplification: A Critical Review of Concepts and Issues Binh Tran-Nam, Annet Wanyana Oguttu and Kyle Mandy The Taxpayers’ Right to Tax Simplicity in South Africa and the United States Carika Fritz and Nina E Olson The Role of the Office of Tax Simplification in the United Kingdom and Lessons for Other Countries Yige Zu and Lynne Oats An Analysis of the Tax Simplification Initiatives for Pension Provision in the United Kingdom and South Africa Bernadene de Clercq, Andy Lymer and Chris Axelson Simplification Lessons from New Zealand Adrian Sawyer, Marina Bornman and Greg Smith Legal Uncertainty in the South African VAT Marius van Oordt and Richard Krever Simplifying Recurrent Property Taxes in Africa Riël Franzsen, Abdallah Ali-Nakyea and Adams Tommy Statutory and Effective Complexity for Individual Taxpayers in South Africa Sharon Smulders, Karen Stark and Deborah Tickle Small and Micro Businesses: Case Studies on the Complexity of ‘Simplified’ Schemes Heinrich Dixon, Judith Freedman and Wollela Abehodie Yesegat Tax Complexity for Multinational Corporations in South Africa – Evidence from a Global Survey Thomas Hoppe, Reyhaneh Safaei, Amanda Singleton and Caren Sureth-Sloane International Tax Simplification in South Africa through Managing Substantive Complexity and Improving Drafting Efficiency Jinyan Li and Teresa Pidduck Bibliography Index

Presumptive Taxation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Presumptive Taxation in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Mr.Günther Taube
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
This paper analyses presumptive taxation methods and their application in Sub-Saharan Africa. Presumptive taxation involves simple techniques to capture domestic transactions and sources of income that frequently escapes conventional taxation.

Taxation, Responsiveness and Accountability in Sub-Saharan Africa

Taxation, Responsiveness and Accountability in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Wilson Prichard
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316453731
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 309

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Book Description
It is increasingly argued that bargaining between citizens and governments over tax collection can provide a foundation for the development of responsive and accountable governance in developing countries. However, while intuitively attractive, surprisingly little research has captured the reality and complexity of this relationship in practice. This book provides the most complete treatment of the connections between taxation and accountability in developing countries, providing both new evidence and an invaluable starting point for future research. Drawing on cross-country econometric evidence and detailed case studies from Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia, Wilson Prichard shows that reliance on taxation has, in fact, increased responsiveness and accountability by expanding the political power wielded by taxpayers. Critically, however, processes of tax bargaining have been highly varied, frequently long term and contextually contingent. Capturing this diversity provides novel insight into politics in developing countries and how tax reform can be designed to encourage broader governance gains.