This book is a study on the historical development and current status of international tax law in several of the world's most important trading economies. The book emphasizes the laws and policies of the United States, Western Europe, the United Nations, and the OECD. Chapter eight contains a discussion of transfer pricing. Chapter ten addresses the internationalization of tax administrations, contains information relating to tax havens, anti-tax haven legislation, transfer pricing, and tax treaties. Other chapters cover the history, principles and policies of international tax laws; the past and present status of the international tax treaty system; international tax avoidance; the problems created by tax deferrals; worldwide unitary tax issues; and global business and international fiscal laws.
The use of property tax incentives for business by local governments throughout the United States has escalated over the last 50 years. While there is little evidence that these tax incentives are an effective instrument to promote economic development, they cost state and local governments $5 to $10 billion each year in forgone revenue. Three major obstacles can impede the success of property tax incentives as an economic development tool. First, incentives are unlikely to have a significant impact on a firm's profitability since property taxes are a small part of the total costs for most businesses--averaging much less than 1 percent of total costs for the U.S. manufacturing sector. Second, tax breaks are sometimes given to businesses that would have chosen the same location even without the incentives. When this happens, property tax incentives merely deplete the tax base without promoting economic development. Third, widespread use of incentives within a metropolitan area reduces their effectiveness, because when firms can obtain similar tax breaks in most jurisdictions, incentives are less likely to affect business location decisions. This report reviews five types of property tax incentives and examines their characteristics, costs, and effectiveness: property tax abatement programs; tax increment finance; enterprise zones; firm-specific property tax incentives; and property tax exemptions in connection with issuance of industrial development bonds. Alternatives to tax incentives should be considered by policy makers, such as customized job training, labor market intermediaries, and business support services. State and local governments also can pursue a policy of broad-based taxes with low tax rates or adopt split-rate property taxation with lower taxes on buildings than land.State policy makers are in a good position to increase the effectiveness of property tax incentives since they control how local governments use them. For example, states can restrict the use of incentives to certain geographic areas or certain types of facilities; publish information on the use of property tax incentives; conduct studies on their effectiveness; and reduce destructive local tax competition by not reimbursing local governments for revenue they forgo when they award property tax incentives.Local government officials can make wiser use of property tax incentives for business and avoid such incentives when their costs exceed their benefits. Localities should set clear criteria for the types of projects eligible for incentives; limit tax breaks to mobile facilities that export goods or services out of the region; involve tax administrators and other stakeholders in decisions to grant incentives; cooperate on economic development with other jurisdictions in the area; and be clear from the outset that not all businesses that ask for an incentive will receive one.Despite a generally poor record in promoting economic development, property tax incentives continue to be used. The goal is laudable: attracting new businesses to a jurisdiction can increase income or employment, expand the tax base, and revitalize distressed urban areas. In a best case scenario, attracting a large facility can increase worker productivity and draw related firms to the area, creating a positive feedback loop. This report offers recommendations to improve the odds of achieving these economic development goals.
Seventeen in a series of annual reports comparing business regulation in 190 economies, Doing Business 2020 measures aspects of regulation affecting 10 areas of everyday business activity.
Many corporate tax systems lack structure. Focusing on structural defects and how they are addressed in practice, this comprehensive and comparative analysis of corporate tax systems uses a conceptual framework to illustrate and analyse the many difficult issues corporations pose. This framework is enhanced by the examination of a large body of legal rules and practical considerations which demonstrate how corporate tax systems work in practice. While adopting a broad comparative approach, the analysis also drills down into the detail of influential corporate tax systems in order to illustrate the major issues they face and the options available to them.
Packed with "Big Picture" tax scenarios and "What-If?" case variations, SOUTH-WESTERN FEDERAL TAXATION 2011: INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAXES remains the most effective text for helping students master detailed tax concepts and the ever-changing tax legislation. Renowned for its accessible, comprehensive, and time-tested presentation, this text provides thorough coverage while highlighting materials of critical interest to the tax practitioner. INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAXES offers readers many opportunities to sharpen critical-thinking and writing skills. A chapter-opening feature, Framework 1040: Tax Formula for Individuals, provides a unique, organizational framework so that students can understand how chapter topics relate to the 1040 form. Internet exercises are tied directly to chapter research cases in the text to give students hands-on experience using online resources to solve tax issues. H&R Block at Home tax preparation software and the student version of Checkpoint from Thomson Reuters come with each new copy of this text to give your students professional experience with leading software! The 2011 edition has been fully updated to include the latest tax legislation for individual taxpayers.
In A Good Tax, tax expert Joan Youngman skillfully considers how to improve the operation of the property tax and supply the information that is often missing in public debate. She analyzes the legal, administrative, and political challenges to the property tax in the United States and offers recommendations for its improvement. The book is accessibly written for policy analysts and public officials who are dealing with specific property tax issues and for those concerned with property tax issues in general.
SmartStart Your Business Today! How to Start a Business in Colorado is your road map to avoiding operational, legal and financial pitfalls and breaking through the bureaucratic red tape that often entangles new entrepreneurs. This all-in-one resource goes a step beyond other business how-to books to give you a jump-start on planning for your business. It provides you with: Valuable state-specific sample forms and letters on CD-ROM Mailing addresses, telephone numbers and websites for the federal, state, local and private agencies that will help get your business up and running State population statistics, income and consumption rates, major industry trends and overall business incentives to give you a better picture of doing business in Colorado Checklists, sample forms and a complete sample business plan to assist you with numerous startup details State-specific information on issues like choosing a legal form, selecting a business name, obtaining licenses and permits, registering to pay taxes and knowing your employer responsibilities Federal and state options for financing your new venture Resources, cost information, statistics and regulations have all been updated. That, plus a new easier-to-use layout putting all the state-specific information in one block of chapters, make this your must-have guide to getting your business off the ground.
Packed with new Big Picture tax scenarios and new What-If? case variations, SOUTH-WESTERN FEDERAL TAXATION 2011: TAXATION OF BUSINESS ENTITIES remains the most effective text for helping students master complex tax concepts and the ever-changing tax legislation. Renowned for its accessible, comprehensive, and time-tested presentation, the text provides thorough coverage while highlighting materials of critical interest to the tax practitioner. Preparing students for the long term, TAXATION OF BUSINESS ENTITIES offers readers many opportunities to sharpen critical-thinking and writing skills. Internet exercises tied directly to chapter research cases give students hands-on experience using online resources to solve tax issues. H&R Block’s TaxCut software, Checkpoint from Thomson Reuters and CPAexcel come with each new copy of this text to give your students professional experience with leading software! The 2011 edition has been fully updated to include the latest tax legislation. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.
