Behavioral Public Finance: Tax Design as Price Presentation

In this essay we review the evidence from marketing research about price presentation of consumer products and discuss how these lessons have been applied—consciously or unconsciously—in the design of the U.S. tax system. Our perspective is that, in most situations, the designers of the tax system attempt to minimize the perceived burden of any given amount of tax collections. We allow, though, that in certain situations an additional goal is to maximize the perceived burden of others. We also investigate how, when the objective is to encourage a particular activity, price presentation may enhance the achievement of that goal for a given amount of tax subsidy. We conclude by addressing the ethical and normative implications of price presentation in the tax system.     

Capital, corporate income taxes, and catastrophe insurance

We provide estimates of the equity capital needed and the resulting tax costs incurred when supplying catastrophe insurance/reinsurance using a partial equilibrium model that incorporates a specific loss distribution for US catastrophe losses. After consideration of insurer investment in tax-exempt securities, tax loss carry-back/forward provisions, and personal taxes, our results imply that the tax costs of equity finance alone have a substantial effect on the cost of supplying catastrophe reinsurance. These results help explain a variety of industry developments that reduce tax costs. Also, when coupled with non-tax costs of capital, these results help explain the limited scope of catastrophe insurance/reinsurance.     

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.     

对保户的税收优惠政策分析及借鉴

通过对保户实施税收优惠政策，可以刺激保险需求的增长。可以刺激保险需求的增长。从而有效地促进保险潜在需求向现实需求的转化。本文通过对一些国家和地区政策的介绍。提出了完善我国此项政策和促进保险需求的策略。     

我国个人所得税后续改革中必须考虑的若干问题

我国工资薪金个人所得税扣除额宜实行分地区浮动制度,而扣除额的调整必须与扣除方式的改革相结合才具有实质意义。从目前的征管实践来看,加强个人所得税管理、有效控制税源是确保改革目标实现的关键。此外,单纯追求个人所得税的公平功能而忽视其效率的作用,对我国社会政治经济的发展将产生不利的影响,也不符合改革的目标。     

基于政策目标的存款利息得税的有效性分析

我国1999年开征的存款利息所得税是一次典型意义上的相机调控行为,短期内达到了预期的调控目标。但随着政策持续时间的延长,政策刚性对社会公平和经济长期增长的负面影响也在逐步增强。而且相机性财政政策仅仅是一项短期政策,不应该被长期实施。相机性政策的长期实施不仅会使短期的政策效应丧失,而且政策刚性产生的负面影响将会不断扩大。对利息所得税而言,如果不能将其纳入个人所得税改革的整体框架内统筹安排,则应考虑尽快退出。     

税收价格论对强化税收征管的现实意义

税收价格论认为税收是纳税人为消费公共品而向政府支付的“价格”,税收征纳双方在本质上是平等的交换关系。借鉴税收价格论,应当以个人为基点,从利益交换关系的角度,赋予纳税人作为交换一方应有的权利。应在整个公共部门经济的全过程中体现税收本质上的平等交换关系,并以法律的形式予以确定和保护。引进税收价格论,对提供新的税收征管思路,强化税收征管工作,具有重要的现实意义。     

中国的经济增长、需求约束与税收结构

在我国目前的经济增长中,出现了投资需求过热而消费需求不足的结构性失衡状况。为此,可以把税收结构引入汉森-萨缪尔森模型,来研究税收结构对投资和消费的影响。通过实证研究发现,在税收结构中,流转税(间接税)比重的增加对投资增长有激励作用,而对边际消费倾向没有显著影响;所得税和其他税(代表了直接税)比重的增加,有利于抑制投资和过快的经济增长,相反,可以提高边际消费倾向,从而促进消费。     

税收优惠对外商投资影响的研究综述

税收优惠是各国政府用来吸引外商投资的常用手段。但是,税收优惠如何影响外商投资历来就是一个充满争议的话题。早期国际上关于税收优惠对外商投资影响的经典理论主要有庇古的福利经济学理论、“双缺口”模型和邓肯的国际折衷理论,而近来也有不少国内外学者分别从区位选择、融资来源、投资类型和投资形式等角度论证了税收优惠的作用。     

试论我国财税法律体系的完善

经济的和谐发展呼吁完善的财税法律体系。目前,我国传统财税法律体系已经不能适应和谐发展的新要求,以科学发展观为指导,创新财税法学研究方法和研究范式,构建新的财税法律体系和拓展财税法学的理论空间,已经成为财税理论研讨中的新趋势。因此,宜从我国财政危机的法律原因入手,分析产生这些问题的法治根源,并提出创新财税法治观念、构建新的财税法律体系的思路。