Capital mobility,wage bargaining,and social insurance policies in an economic union

In a two-country model with mobile capital we analyse decentralized social insurance policies. These policies are a compromise between the preferences of workers and capital owners. Due to wage bargaining, worker-based social insurance contributions are borne by capital owners. These contributions affect the profitability of investment, and consequently the direction and size of capital flows. Countries will take account of these effects in determining social insurance policy. Noncooperative decision making results in tax competition and an underprovision of social insurance. In addition, increasing economic integration, represented by increasing capital mobility, could imply a divergence of social insurance levels in the two countries.     

The use of financial information by trade union negotiators in plant level collective bargaining

The aim of this paper is to undertake a critical review of recently completed empirical work, carried out under the auspices of the SSRC, on the use of information in individual company and plant level bargaining. The authors also attempt to develop a strategy for further investigation of this important topic which highlights the importance of variations in the nature of the domestic organisation in relation to the potential importance and usefulness of financial information for union negotiators.     

Taxing Multinationals

This paper analyzes the effects of tax policy on the strategic choices of multinationals and on national welfare. Contrary to existing theory, in the absence of foreign taxation, deferral of home-country taxation until earnings on outbound FDI are repatriated is generally superior to including those earnings in current income. This holds even if the home country taxes domestic investment less generously. This is also generally superior to exempting foreign income. Foreign taxes permit foreign governments to capture some of the pre-tax economic rent from the home-country FDI; this reduces the benefit to the home country of more generous taxation of outbound FDI.     

Labor market dynamics under long-term wage contracting

Recent research seeking to explain the strong cyclicality of US unemployment emphasizes the role of wage rigidity. This paper proposes a micro-founded model of wage rigidity—an equilibrium business cycle model of job search, where risk neutral firms post optimal long-term contracts to attract risk averse workers. Equilibrium contracts feature wage smoothing, limited by the inability of parties to commit to contracts. The model is consistent with aggregate wage data if neither worker nor firm can commit, producing too rigid wages otherwise. Wage rigidity does not lead to a substantial increase in the cyclical volatility of unemployment.     

Economic Effects of Taxing Different Organizational Forms under the Nordic Dual Income Tax

This paper analyzes the economic effects of income splitting rules for closely held corporations and sole proprietorships/partnerships under the Nordic dual income tax. Income is split by imputing a return to capital, but the methods used for this differ between the Nordic countries. With a few notable exceptions, income splitting does well in the sense that the cost of capital is approximately the same in closely and widely held corporations. The special tax rules for sole proprietorships/partnerships manage to neutralize the impact of the high labor income tax on the cost of capital.     

Breakthrough bargaining

Unspoken, subtle parts of a bargaining process--also known as the shadow negotiation--can set the tone for a successful negotiation. Deborah Kolb and Judith Williams, whose book The Shadow Negotiation was the starting point for this article, say there are three strategies businesspeople can use to guide these hidden interactions. Power moves are used when two negotiating parties hold unequal power--for instance, subordinates and bosses; new and existing employees; and people of different races, ages, or genders. These strategies, such as casting the status quo in an unfavorable light, can help parties realize that they must negotiate: they will be better off if they do and worse off if they don't. Process moves affect how negotiation issues are received by both sides in the process, even though they do not address substantive issues. Working outside of the actual bargaining process, one party can suggest ideas or marshal support that can shape the agenda and influence how others view the negotiation. Appreciative moves alter the tone or atmosphere so that a more collaborative exchange is possible. They shift the dynamics of the shadow negotiation away from the adversarial--helping parties to save face--and thus build trust and encourage dialogue. These strategic moves don't guarantee that all bargainers will walk away winners, but they help to get stalled negotiations moving--out of the dark of unspoken power plays and into the light of true dialogue.     

金融机构呼唤税负公平

自改革开放以来，为吸引外资，对进入我国金融市场的外资金融机构提供了一定程度的税收优惠政策。在加入世界贸易组织，实现金融领域的全面开放以后，如果不及时改变对外资金融机构倾斜的财税政策，将对我国民族金融业的发展产生不利影响。     

Taxing women: A macroeconomic analysis

Based on well-known evidence on labor supply elasticities, several authors have concluded that women should be taxed at lower rates than men. We evaluate the quantitative implications and merits of this proposition. Relative to the current system of taxation, setting a proportional tax rate on married females equal to 4% (8%) increases output and married female labor force participation by about 3.9% (3.4%) and 6.9% (4.0%), respectively. Gender-based taxes improve welfare and are preferred by a majority of households. Nevertheless, welfare gains are higher when the U.S. tax system is replaced by a proportional, gender-neutral income tax.     

Taxing Mobile Capital with Labor Market Imperfections

Taxing internationally mobile factors of production has been dismissed as an inefficient means of raising tax revenue. This paper addresses the question of whether it is efficient to tax capital at source when labor markets and the taxation of lumpsum income suffer from imperfections. Four reasons for taxing capital are identified: (i) institutional constraints rendering any taxation of profit income infeasible; (ii) market power in the demand for labor; (iii) market power in the supply of labor if it increases with the employment of capital; (iv) unemployment benefits that are not tied to net real wages. It is argued that the case for taxing capital is not particularly strong. By reinterpreting capital as energy the results are applicable to the discussion about ecological tax reforms.     

关于完善我国银行业税收制度的思考

当前,我国银行业已对外资实行国民待遇,内资银行面临的竞争日益激烈。但现行的银行业税制仍然为1994年税制改革时所定,已不能完全适应我国加入WTO后的金融实践,在一定程度上制约了我国商业银行竞争力的进一步提升。为全面了解银行业税收情况和存在的问题,笔者在对湖南省158家银行机构进行调查的基础上,对我国银行业税收制度存在问题进行了分析,并提出了相应的政策建议。     

Taxing transactions in futures markets: Objectives and effects

In the last few years various legislative proposals have been made to impose a transaction or excise tax on securities and derivative market transactions. Although there have been considerable discussion and analysis of the wisdom of imposing such a tax on securities markets, there has been no analysis of the pros and cons of extending the tax to futures markets. This article attempts to fill this gap, first, by examining the various rationales advanced to support a tax on securities markets to determine their applicability to futures markets and, second, by analyzing the likely effects of the tax on the competitiveness and efficiency of futures markets. In addition, the revenue-raising potential of a tax on futures transactions is evaluated. I conclude that a tax on futures markets will not achieve any important social objective and will not generate much revenue.     

Sharing the Spoils: Taxing International Human Capital Flows

This paper argues that cross-border human capital flows from developing countries to developed countries over the next half-century will demand a new set of policy responses from developing countries. The paper examines the forces that are making immigration policies more skill-focused, the effect of both flows (emigration) and stocks (diasporas) on the source countries, and the range of taxation instruments available to source countries to manage the consequences of those flows. This paper emphasizes the example of India, a large source country for human capital flows, and the United States, an important destination for these human capital flows and an example of how a country can tax its citizens abroad. In combination, these examples point to the significant advantage to developing countries of potential tax schemes for managing the flows and stocks of citizens who reside abroad. Finally, this paper concludes with a research agenda for the many questions raised by the prospect of large flows of skilled workers and the policy alternatives, including tax instruments, available to source countries.     

对金融衍生工具的课税:原则、冲突与实践

对金融衍生工具进行课税,主要面临着两个问题:一是所得的性质,二是所得的确定。传统的所得分类已经难以适用于DFIs,而目前世界各国在实践中采取的金融衍生工具课税原则也还存在各种问题。鉴于此,笔者提出了合约当事人课税原则。     

外国对跨国公司税收理论的研究

跨国公司投资与税收敏感性分析 税收政策能够明显影响跨国公司对外直接投资(FDI)的分布和数量。因为，如果其它条件不变，较高的税率会降低税后收益，并因此减少对投资资金的刺激。当然，其他条件很少能够不变。……     

企业会计制度与税收法规的矛盾探析

制定企业会计制度的依据是《会计法》和《企业财务报告条例》,它对收入、成本费用和利润等的确认、计量和报告都有其合理的概念依据,体现了会计学科本身的科学性。而税收法规则是从税收角度考虑,具有法学和税收理论依据,二者从不问学科出发,对同一要素进行确认、计量和报告,必然会产生矛盾。本文通过对《企业会计制度》和现行税收法规的研究,从收入的确认、增值税进项税额抵扣的范围和时间,以及资产纳税三个方面揭示了企业会计制度与税收法规的矛盾,并提出解决矛盾的办法。     

走出个体税收管理“以票管税”的误区

当前,"以票管税"走入了"唯票定税"的误区,造成了核定征收个体工商业户税款的减少,使发票的功能发生了异化,也严重偏离了对个体税收实行核定征收的轨道.因此,税务机关应强化发票的凭证功能,严格按照法律、行政法规的有关规定,采取适当的方法,切实加强个体工商业户的税收征管工作.     

关于外国企业取得劳务费征税问题的探讨

在国内企业走向国际市场的同时，外国企业在中国境内、境外为国内企业提供各种劳务的现象日益增多，特别是中国加入WTO以后，在“市场准入原则”前提下，外国企业与国内企业的往来会更加频繁，为国内企业提供劳务的数量也会日益……