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Cover Tax Amnesties
CHAPTER 1. Introduction
Mr. Eric Le Borgne and Ms. Katherine Baer

Abstract

“Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” (emphasis added)

Keywords:
ISI; SI; taxpayer; tax amnesty; amnesty; tax evader; tax arrears; tax amnesty program; taxpayer anonymity; settlement amount; delinquent taxpayer; Tax administration core functions; Tax evasion; Tax collection; Social security contributions; Tax return filing compliance; Asia and Pacific; revenue impact; tax-evasion motive; impact of a tax amnesty; revenue collection
Cover Tax Amnesties
CHAPTER 2. Definition and Types of Amnesties
Mr. Eric Le Borgne and Ms. Katherine Baer

Abstract

A tax amnesty can be defined as a limited-time offer by the government to a specified group of taxpayers to pay a defined amount, in exchange for forgiveness of a tax liability (including interest and penalties), relating to a previous tax period (s), as well as freedom from legal prosecution. Amnesties generally fall in two categories: financial and legal. For the former, a tax amnesty implies a reduction (in real terms) of taxpayers’ declared or undeclared tax liabilities as established by law.4 This reduction can be achieved through a variety of measures: for example, through a reduction or cancellation of (1) interest and penalties owed on the underreported or undeclared taxes or (2) tax liabilities (or some combination of these).5 The latter includes a waiving of civil and criminal penalties.

Keywords:
ISI; SI; taxpayer; tax amnesty; amnesty; tax evader; tax arrears; tax amnesty program; taxpayer anonymity; settlement amount; delinquent taxpayer; Tax administration core functions; Tax evasion; Tax collection; Social security contributions; Tax return filing compliance; Asia and Pacific; taxpayer compliance; audit amnesty program; audit taxpayer; Tax arrears management; Auditing
Cover Tax Amnesties
CHAPTER 3. Economic Analysis
Mr. Eric Le Borgne and Ms. Katherine Baer

Abstract

In this chapter we first give a heuristic intuition of the economic literature and modeling of tax amnesty. We then describe the key results of the literature.

Keywords:
ISI; SI; taxpayer; tax amnesty; amnesty; tax evader; tax arrears; tax amnesty program; taxpayer anonymity; settlement amount; delinquent taxpayer; Tax administration core functions; Tax evasion; Tax collection; Social security contributions; Tax return filing compliance; Asia and Pacific; cost-benefit trade-off; trade-off of tax evasion; citizen's tax-evasion history; enforcement of tax evasion and fraud; Tax law
Cover Tax Amnesties
CHAPTER 4. Recent Trends and Evidence
Mr. Eric Le Borgne and Ms. Katherine Baer

Abstract

In this section we analyze the recent trends in tax amnesties, and some evidence is provided regarding their revenue and compliance effects. The first section is devoted to a review of the econometric literature on the (mainly revenue) effect of tax amnesties. The second section describes the U.S. states’ experience with amnesties (through a general overview and then two case studies: the tax amnesty programs of Kentucky and Michigan, both in 2002). The experience of the U.S. states is worth investigating because, given the relative homogeneity of these states (at least compared with cross-country studies), it is easier to identify key factors affecting the success of tax amnesty programs. The final section focuses on cross-country experiences, first through a general overview of recent tax amnesty trends, and then through selected case studies (Ireland, Italy, Argentina, Turkey, and the Philippines); these case studies have been selected for the range of amnesty programs they cover.

Keywords:
ISI; SI; taxpayer; tax amnesty; amnesty; tax evader; tax arrears; tax amnesty program; taxpayer anonymity; settlement amount; delinquent taxpayer; Tax administration core functions; Tax evasion; Tax collection; Social security contributions; Tax return filing compliance; Asia and Pacific; taxpayer compliance; accounts receivable; tax amnesty participant; gross revenue
Cover Tax Amnesties
CHAPTER 5. Alternatives to Amnesties
Mr. Eric Le Borgne and Ms. Katherine Baer

Abstract

The previous sections have highlighted some of the shortcomings of tax amnesties: (1) immediate gross revenue collection is, at best, limited to a low (single-digit) share of revenue collection; (2) short-term gross revenue collection often far exceeds net revenue collection (i.e., net of administrative, advertising, forgiven fines, and penalties); and (3) the negative compliance effects can more than outweigh any of the short-term revenue benefits.

Keywords:
ISI; SI; taxpayer; tax amnesty; amnesty; tax evader; tax arrears; tax amnesty program; taxpayer anonymity; settlement amount; delinquent taxpayer; Tax administration core functions; Tax evasion; Tax collection; Social security contributions; Tax return filing compliance; Asia and Pacific; payment installment program; taxpayer register; compliance history; installment arrangement; Tax arrears management
Cover Tax Amnesties
CHAPTER 6. Conclusions
Mr. Eric Le Borgne and Ms. Katherine Baer

Abstract

Countries and states have introduced tax amnesties for a variety of reasons. Among the most common ones are (1) an immediate revenue need (e.g., during an economic downturn), (2) a desire to improve tax compliance so as to improve revenue over the medium term, (3) a new government wanting to distance itself from a previous government’s policy, (4) signaling a regime change and “drawing a line in the sand” (e.g., former Soviet Union transition economies moving to more market-based tax systems), and (5) repatriating offshore capital so as to boost domestic investment and growth (e.g., in Italy).

Keywords:
ISI; SI; taxpayer; tax amnesty; amnesty; tax evader; tax arrears; tax amnesty program; taxpayer anonymity; settlement amount; delinquent taxpayer; Tax administration core functions; Tax evasion; Tax collection; Social security contributions; Tax return filing compliance; Asia and Pacific; tax arrears collection procedure; tax court; tax noncompliance
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
France: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund
The export performance of the French economy relative to its own past and relative to a major trading partner, Germany, has deteriorated. The risk analysis indicates that French firms have seen a significant improvement in the corporate health, and seem resilient to the recent financial shock despite differences across firms. Several issues in the context of common EU tax policy formation, including carbon pricing, control problems associated with the zero-rating of intra-EU supplies, and possible movement toward a common corporate tax base need to be addressed.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; export; France; Germany; SITC; cost; demand shock; rate differentiation; NFC financing landscape; labor market; euro area; tax system; personal income; hedge fund market; trend export growth; market approach; asset value; income tax; Corporate income tax; Exports; Social security contributions; Tax allowances; Asia and Pacific; Global; Eastern Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Accounting for Cloud Computing in the National Accounts
Mr. Andrew Baer, Mr. Kwangwon Lee, and James Tebrake
Digitalization and the innovative use of digital technologies is changing the way we work, learn, communicate, buy and sell products. One emerging digital technology of growing importance is cloud computing. More and more businesses, governments and households are purchasing hardware and software services from a small number of large cloud computing providers. This change is having an impact on how macroeconomic data are compiled and how they are interpreted by users. Specifically, this is changing the information and communication technology (ICT) investment pattern from one where ICT investment was diversified across many industries to a more concentrated investment pattern. Additionally, this is having an impact on cross-border flows of commercial services since the cloud service provider does not need to be located in the same economic territory as the purchaser of cloud services. This paper will outline some of the methodological and compilation challenges facing statisticians and analysts, provide some tools that can be used to overcome these challenges and highlight some of the implications these changes are having on the way users of national accounts data look at investment and trade in commercial services.
Keywords:
WP; cloud computing service; cloud service; IT service; cloud computing firm; Cloud storage service; computer processing firm; computer services export; delivery model; sector use cloud computing service; software service; use cloud computing service; cloud computing; information and communication technology; national accounts; data center; f irst company; service delivery model; cloud data storage service; cloud services from the IT services firm; cloud computing provider; Imports; Service exports; Information technology in revenue administration; Employee contributions; Global
Cover Tax Amnesties
Tax Amnesties
Theory, Trends, and Some Alternatives
Mr. Eric Le Borgne and Ms. Katherine Baer

Abstract

Tax amnesties remain as popular as ever as a tool for raising revenue and increasing tax compliance. International experience, however, shows that the costs of tax amnesty programs often exceed the programs’ benefits. This paper weighs the advantages and disadvantages of tax amnesties, drawing on results from the theoretical literature, econometric evidence, and selected country and U.S. state case studies. The authors conclude that “successful” tax amnesties are the exception rather than the norm. Improvements in tax administration are the essential ingredient in addressing the main problems that tax amnesties seek to address. Indeed, the most successful amnesty programs rely on improving the tax administration’s enforcement capacity. ?Given the potential drawbacks of tax amnesties, a few alternative measures are discussed.

Keywords:
ISI; SI; taxpayer; tax amnesty; amnesty; tax evader; tax arrears; tax amnesty program; taxpayer anonymity; settlement amount; delinquent taxpayer; Tax administration core functions; Tax evasion; Tax collection; Social security contributions; Tax return filing compliance; Asia and Pacific; tax-evasion benefit; taxpayer register; tax-evasion decision; tax-evasion possibility