构建我国生态补偿机制的财税政策探析

制定和实施科学的财税政策是确保生态补偿机制有效运行,是实现经济社会可持续发展的重要途径。我国现行的财税政策存在财政投入不足、调节手段单一、税收体系不完善和收费不规范等不足。因此。通过调整和完善现行税制,开征新税种和规范收费制度有利于促进我国生态补偿机制的完善和有效运行,实现经济、社会、环境的和谐发展。     

构建以财产税为地方税主体税种的政策分析

我国地方税主体税种的缺失,导致地方政府的财权与事权严重不匹配,无法满足其提供地方公共支出的需要,影响了税收调节功能的发挥。因此,如何选择地方税主体税种是地方税体系建设要解决的最根本的问题。通过分析我国目前地方税体系的现状,同时明确地方税主体税种选择的导向,提出了确立财产税为我国地方税主体税种的目标模式,并配备相应的改革设计方案,为今后我国地方税主体税种的选育提供一定的参考价值。     

Environmental regulation and responses of local governments

In 1998, China approved the setup of two control zones and implemented stringent environmental regulation in these zones. This policy enables us to use the difference-in-difference method to investigate local governments' responses to environmental regulation. We find that tough environmental regulation increases tax rate but does not affect local government expenditure. Among the mechanisms through which environmental regulation positively affects tax rate are the negative effects of environmental regulation on investment of fixed assets, number and total profits of above-scale industrial firms in dirty industries of TCZ cities. In addition, the effect of environmental regulation on tax rate is positively related to policy strength and proportion of the secondary industry. Moreover, tough environmental regulation increases the shares of revenue from enterprises and agricultural taxes in budgetary revenue, but decreases the share of value-added tax in budgetary revenue. These findings highlight additional cost of environmental regulation (aside from those mentioned in literature), including increased burdens of the private sector that would lead to large distortions, and aggravated unfair distribution of taxes. The additional cost should be considered when evaluating the environmental policy.     

从政府责任角度谈社会保障税的开征

本文分别从税费理论和各国的社会保障税或费的制度实践对社会保障税费进行比较分析,认为社会保障税并没有严格优于社会保障费。就筹资手段而言,无论名税还是费,其实质都是相似的。在我国,社会保障费改税更多的是一种手段,旨在提高社会统筹层次,提高社保资金的利用效率,更深层的原因是更加突出了政府在社会保障中的责任。社保税的开征将使得政府的责任显性化,但即使改征社保税也仅限于社会统筹资金部分。     

The complicit role of local government authorities in corporate bribery: Evidence from a tax collection reform in China

In January 2002, China decided to centralize corporate income tax collection, shifting the collection authority from the local tax bureaus (LTBs) to the state tax bureaus (STBs), for all firms established after December 31, 2001. We exploit this exogenous shock to identify a new cause for corporate bribery, namely, the complicit role of local government authorities. We find that firms whose income taxes are still collected by LTBs after the reform bribe more than similar firms whose taxes are collected by STBs. Such effects are more pronounced for firms located in provinces where government intervention is more prevalent and where judicial system is less independent. Moreover, we find that firms whose taxes are collected by LTBs enjoy lower tax burdens and receive greater tax-related subsidies, especially when they bribe more. Overall, our results highlight the reciprocation between local government authorities and firms in determining corporate bribery.     

Rebalancing in China: A taxation approach

The rebalancing of the Chinese economy is analyzed through a heterogeneous taxation of various types of firms. Based on a two-country dynamic general equilibrium model, the paper applies tax reforms to raise consumption, reduce some firms' overinvestment (overcapacities) and maintain a high level of welfare.To rebalance consumption and investment, taxation may allow reallocating a part of the labor force to firms that are not overinvesting (via business taxes and social security contributions). Moreover, the correction of distortions in production factor costs (capital and labor) is necessary during certain reforms applied in the model; that is, on the one hand, higher credit costs for firms that face soft budget constraints (via financial transactions taxes) and, on the other hand, a catch-up of foreign firms' wages by domestic firms (via social security contributions).These tax reforms bring welfare benefits to households and stabilize the welfare reaction to productivity shocks. Another interesting result is that in this framework, the rebalancing of the domestic demand in China does not require the readjustment of the external financial position. Indeed, the aggregate savings rate remains high and the supply of domestic assets is reduced.Finally, another model proposes a heterogeneous taxation of consumption across home and foreign goods to enhance consumption.     

Tax policy and reform in Asian countries: Thailand''s perspective

This paper gives overviews of Thailand's tax system covering major taxes administered by the central government and the local taxes administered by the local government. Recent tax reform experiences are discussed at length starting from the introduction of value added tax (VAT) replacing the business tax to customs tariff reform. Current issues on taxation are also highlighted ranging from tax base, direct and indirect taxation, decentralization impediments. Furthermore, the government is implementing modern and cutting-edge technology in tax administration, thereby providing effective and efficient e-government services to the Thai people. This paper discusses the Roadmap for Tax Reform that would outline the framework for future direction of taxation in Thailand. Finally, the paper gives important insights on tax issues, and draws important conclusions for the future of tax reform in Thailand.     

个人住房房产税改革研究——基于社会福利保障水平增进的视角

我国要推出的房产税改革,实际上是要对个人住房征收房产持有税,并要对其如何征、征多少的问题进行改革。文章在分析理论界的基本观点与试点方案的基础上总结出我国个人住房房产税改革的基本思路与目标,论证了我国逐步推进并全面开征住宅房产税符合新福利经济学的希克斯效率改进,能增进社会总体福利水平;并从调节收入分配与提升福利保障水平的角度对我国住宅房产税的税收制度进行了设计。     

房产税改革的制度经济学解释及两个重要使命

制度经济学强调产权制度对市场的制约作用。然而,市场真正关心的是产权中的经济利益而不是法律意义。一般产品都包含有公共经济产权和私有经济产权,房产税改革的真正作用是调整房产中公共产权与私有产权之间的配置结构。土地使用权制度和小产权房制度也是房地产制度体系的重要组成部分,房产税改革有必要与这些制度进行统筹考虑。具体而言,房产税可以在商品房的土地使用权到期后开始征收,小产权房可以缴纳房产税的方式市场化。同时,解决土地使用权制度和小产权制度的改革问题,房产税改革在制度水平上才更为完整。     

How Aggressive Tax Planning Facilitates the Diversion of Corporate Resources: Evidence from Path Analysis

In measuring tunneling with intercorporate loans disclosed by Chinese listed companies, we analyze the underlying channels through which aggressive tax planning facilitates the diversion of corporate resources by firm insiders. Using path analysis, we document that the path from tax aggressiveness to related loans is mediated by both the additional cash flows from tax savings and the increased financial opacity from tax planning, and that additional cash flows plays a much more important role than opacity in helping controlling shareholders to divert corporate resources under the guise of tax aggressiveness. Beyond the two mediated paths, we also detect a residual, direct path from tax aggressiveness to related loans. After an exogenous shock from the government crackdown on diversionary related loans, we find the direct path is fully mediated by the two indirect paths, suggesting that tunneling via related loans only occurs at firms where insiders can mask tunneling under the cover of opacity or can justify related loans on grounds of abnormal cash flows from tax savings. Our evidence supports the notion that greater outside scrutiny increases the hurdle for, but does not entirely eradicate, diversion facilitated by tax aggressiveness. Collectively, our research lends some support to recent theory on the importance of taxes to corporate governance by demonstrating how the agency costs of tax planning allow certain shareholders to benefit from firm activities at the expense of others.     

Tax system reform in India: Achievements and challenges ahead

Indian tax system has come a long way from the narrow based, complicated and confiscatory to the one that is far more efficient. Over the years, the thrust and direction of reforms have been to improve revenue productivity while minimising distortions. The reform to convert the state level sales tax into VAT this year is a major initiative. The recent focus on tax administration promises rich dividends.Despite reforms since 1991, much remains to be done to make the tax system broad-based, productive and efficient. In corporate tax, excise, customs and sales taxes, revenue concentration on diesel and petrol has high efficiency costs. The personal income tax continues to be narrow based. Reform in the sales tax has only just begun and a lot remain to be done to evolve destination-based retail VAT. The reforms in tax administration promise increased revenues and, hopefully, that will provide the elbow room necessary for calibrating future reforms.     

对“改进个人所得税调节居民收入差距”的探讨

我国目前居民收入差距越来越大,个人所得税税制不完善,具有调节个人收入分配功能的个人所得税并未真正起到调节居民收入差距的作用。从全社会来看,刚修订的1600元费用扣除标准过高,税率设计不合理,不利于调节居民收入差距;分类个人所得税下,高收入者可以充分利用多个宽免或扣除减少纳税,从而消弱个人所得税的调节力度。因此,笔者提出按宽税基、低税率、简税制原则改进个人所得税的费用扣除标准、税率及征税方式;为了避免通货膨胀对收入分配的扭曲效应,保护低收入者的利益,应建立个人所得税税收指数化调整体系。     

关于我国生态环境补偿机制的税收政策思考

我国的生态环境补偿机制开始于1980年代初,但时至今日,环境污染仍显严重,生态环境补偿机制仍存缺陷。而税收政策是有效的生态补偿手段,我国现行税制中,可纳入生态税制的主要有6个税种:资源税、消费税、城市维护建设税、车船使用税、城镇土地使用税和耕地占有税。本文在分析我国构建生态环境补偿机制现状和必要性的基础上,通过借鉴国外关于构建生态环境补偿机制税收政策的经验,来建立和完善我国的税收政策,以服务生态环境补偿机制。     

实行缴税制:社会保险筹资模式的思考

目前世界各国社会保险筹资模式,通常有三种形式:缴税制、缴费制和预筹基金制(强制储蓄)。但在我国,对于社会保险筹资模式到底应该采取税的形式还是费的形式,一直存在着激烈的争论。本文在回顾社会保险筹资模式税费之争的基础上,认为我国社会保险筹资模式应采用缴税制,主要的原因是实行缴税制符合社会保险的公共产品特性,且具有天然的优势。     

The double dividend from carbon regulations in Japan

Using a multisector dynamic CGE model, this paper examines the double dividend from carbon regulations in Japan. The model has 27 sectors and goods (eight goods generate carbon emissions) and covers 100 years (from 1995 to 2095). When carbon regulations are introduced, pre-existing taxes are reduced, keeping government's revenue constant. Our main findings are summarized as follows. First, the weak double dividend arises in all scenarios. This means that by using revenues from carbon tax to finance reductions in pre-existing distortionary taxes, one can achieve cost savings relative to the case where the tax revenues are returned to households in lump-sum fashion. Second, the strong double dividend does not arise from reductions in labor and consumption taxes, but it does from reductions in capital tax. The second result is attributable to the nature of the pre-existing tax system in Japan where capital taxes are more distortionary than labor and consumption taxes. J. Japanese Int. Economies 21 (3) (2007) 336–364.     

Property Tax in Urban China

This paper examines China＇s urban housing sector and proposes that property, tax reform be undertaken. Specifically, China should significantly reduce taxes on transactions and introduce property taxes during the possession of houses. This will increase housing affordability as a result of lower transaction costs, reduce speculation because of the higher opportunity cost of holding vacant houses, stabilize the fiscal system by generating more sustainable tax revenue, and improve the efficiency and fairness of the property tax system according to the principles of ＂ability-to-pay＂ and ＂user pays＂.     

Growth and Welfare Distribution in an Ageing Society: an Applied General Equilibrium Analysis for the Netherlands

This paper studies the effects of the imminent ageing of the population on economic growth and the distribution of welfare in the Netherlands. It shows that with the current system of social security ageing leads to a substantial increase of the tax burden and an estimated welfare loss for future generations of approximately 4% of lifetime wealth. It discusses the effect of reform measures in the pay-as-you-go social security system. It shows that a cut in PAYG pensions is efficiency-improving, but hurts the lower income groups of current generations. This effect can be ameliorated by a debt-financed cut in indirect taxes.     

市场经济下税制改革的理论基础:税收相对中性论

社会主义市场经济体制的核心内容在于发挥市场在资源配置中的基础性作用。税制改革作为社会主义市场经济体制改革的一个重要组成部分:一方面,发挥市场配置资源的基础性作用,以减少政府因课税对经济的低效干预;另一方面,政府也应发挥税制在国家宏观经济调控中的作用,以保证国家各项经济政策的贯彻执行。这要求我们在进行市场经济税制改革时,应兼顾税收中性与税收调控,以税收相对中性论为理论基础,进一步深化我国税制改革。     

Tax and Spend,or Spend and Tax? An Inquiry into the Turkish Budgetary Process

For resolving the budget deficit problem, some economists have advocated spending cuts, while others support either tax increases or tax cuts. This paper investigates the interrelationship between the two fiscal variables for Turkey using bivariate and multivariate cointegrating models. The Engle-Granger and Johansen tests consistently support the existence of one nonzero cointegrating vector representing a stable long-run relationship between government spending and revenues in Turkey. Furthermore, the multivariate error-correction model suggests that taxes unidirectionally Granger-cause negative changes in spending in accordance with the Buchanan-Wagner hypothesis. Thus, from the perspective of policy making and the deficit solution debate, raising taxes in Turkey is perhaps the optimal solution to the current budget deficit predicament.     

Fiscal Interactions and the Case for Carbon Taxes Over Grandfathered Carbon Permits

This paper provides simple formulas for adjusting the costsof carbon taxes and tradable carbon permits to account for interactionswith pre-existing tax distortions in the labour market. Bothpolicies reduce labour supply as they increase product pricesand reduce real household wages; the resulting efficiency lossesin the labour market can be substantial relative to partialequilibrium abatement costs. However, much of this added costcan be offset, and perhaps more than offset when additionaldistortions from the tax system are considered, if revenuesfrom carbon taxes or auctioned permits are used to reduce distortionarytaxes. Consequently, there can be a strong case on efficiencygrounds for using carbon taxes or auctioned permits over grandfatheredcarbon permits.