IMF: Analysis of Fiscal Measures to Reduce US Emissions
An IMF blog of 10 March 2021 entitled A New Vision for the US Climate Agenda looks at fiscal actions that would help curb emissions. The US climate plan aims for US carbon neutrality by 2050, achieved by public funding for clean energy
See MoreOECD: Report to the Meeting of G20 Finance Ministers
The OECD has published on its website the report prepared for the meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors held on 27 February 2021. Taxation of the Digital Economy Unless an international consensus solution is found for
See MoreIMF: Economic Outlook in Sweden
On 2 February 2021 the IMF issued a report following discussions with Sweden in relation to article IV of the IMF’s articles of agreement. Sweden has been hit hard by the pandemic but has introduced effective support measures for individuals
See MoreOECD: Use of Energy Taxes to Strengthen Developing Country Finances
On 25 January 2021 the OECD issued a document entitled Taxing Energy Use for Sustainable Development: Opportunities for energy tax and subsidy reforms in selected developing and emerging economies. The report looks at energy taxation in a sample
See MoreNigeria: President signs the Finance Bill 2020 into Law
On 31 December 2020, the President, Muhammad Buhari, signed the Finance Bill 2020 and made it into law, which introduces significant changes to a number of tax and regulatory laws in Nigeria including the introduction of COVID-19 incentives
See MoreUK: Report of the Wealth Tax Commission
On 14 December 2020 the Wealth Tax Commission issued a report outlining its conclusions on the design of a wealth tax for the UK. The report covers one-off and annual wealth taxes and makes recommendations on specific design of a tax in some cases.
See MoreOECD: Revenue Statistics 2020
On 3 December 2020 the OECD released the annual Revenue Statistics publication with the results of a survey of OECD countries. The data indicates that the average tax to GDP ratio in the OECD countries surveyed fell slightly to 33.8% in
See MoreOECD and IMF: Report on Analysis of Tax Expenditures in Chile
A report was issued on 23 November 2020 following a mission conducted by staff from the IMF and the OECD from April to October 2020. The main purpose was to provide technical support in relation to the methodology for reviewing Chile's tax
See MoreUK: Draft Legislation on Plastic Packaging Tax
On 12 November 2020 the UK issued for consultation draft legislation to introduce a plastic packaging tax. The legislation when finalised would be included in the Finance Bill 2021 and the tax would be implemented from April 2022. The tax
See MoreOECD: Combining Green Budgeting and Tax Policy Tools
An OECD Environment Focus published on the website on 29 October 2020 looked at the use of a combination of green budgeting and environmental tax policy to bring about an improved economic recovery after the pandemic. The OECD note referred to a
See MoreOECD: Ageing and Fiscal Challenges Across Levels of Government
A paper contributing to OECD Fiscal Federalism Studies published on 27 October 2020 looks at the fiscal challenges across levels of government resulting from an ageing population. Personal Tax Revenue and an Ageing Population Some tax systems
See MoreMalta: Finance Minister presents Budget for 2020
On 19 October 2020, the Minister for Finance, Edward Scicluna presented the Budget for 2021 to the Parliament. The budget has no tax increases. The key measures regarding tax and incentives are as follows: The tax refund check will be
See MoreOECD: Economic Survey of UK
On 14 October 2020 the OECD published on its website its economic survey of the UK. The outlook for the UK is uncertain with the combination of Brexit and the COVID-19 crisis. Since July 2020 the UK has begun a new phase of support for business
See MoreLuxembourg: Finance Minister presents draft budget law for 2021
On 14 October 2020, Luxembourg’s Finance Minister has presented the draft budget law 2020 to the Parliament. There are no measures regarding major tax reform or an increase in the tax rate in the draft budget law. The draft budget laws contain a
See MoreWTO: Trade Issues and the Environment
On 15 October 2020 the WTO issued a publication entitled Short Answers to Big Questions on the WTO and the Environment answering questions on issues relating to trade and the environment. Links Between Trade and the Environment Although trade
See MoreIceland: Parliament approves a bill to implement tax measures under 2021 budget
On 1 October 2020, the Icelandic Parliament approved a Bill No.5 in order to implement tax measures under the 2021 budget. The bill includes the following measures; Taxes on carbon, alcohol and tobacco, oil, and car tax increased by
See MoreUN: Committee of Tax Experts to Hold 21st Meeting
The 21st Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation on Tax Matters will take place from 20 October 2020 to 6 November 2020. The session will be held in scaled-down format using a virtual platform, with virtual
See MoreIMF: Economic Policy Mix to Combat Climate Change
A blog post published by IMF Staff on 7 October 2020 noted that economic policy tools can facilitate the achievement of net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 despite the effects of the COVID-19 crisis. The arguments put forward in the blog
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