Narrow Your Choices

Refine By Countries

Refine By Series

Refine By Language

Refine By Date

—

Refine By IMF Taxonomy

Refine By JEL Taxonomy

Refine by LOC Taxonomy

Refine By THEMA Taxonomy

  • Print
  • Save

Business and Economics > Budgeting

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 37 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
Clear All Modify Search
Cover IMF How To Notes
How to Evaluate Tax Expenditures
Sebastian Beer
,
Ms. Dora Benedek
,
Brian Erard
, and
Jan Loeprick
Governments use tax expenditures (TEs) to provide financial support or benefits to taxpayers. The budgetary impact of TEs can be similar to that of direct outlays: after the support is provided, less money is available to fund other government priorities. Systematic evaluations are needed to guide informed decision-mak¬ing and to avoid a situation where the narrative on the benefits of TEs is primarily driven by profiting stakeholders. By TE “evaluation,” this note refers to a process that seeks to systematically inform policymak¬ers on the desirability of introducing or maintaining specific tax benefits by gathering and analyzing avail¬able quantitative and qualitative information on their effects. Evaluation processes can be tailored to different levels of data availability and analytical capacity. An evaluation should focus on the policy objective of a TE and whether it effectively and efficiently contrib¬utes to that policy objective. Although important lessons can be learned from coun¬try practices in implementing increasingly ambitious evaluation processes, there is no single best-practice approach to replicate.
Keywords:
tax expenditures; cost-benefit assessment; public policy evaluation; sample evaluation; publication order; publication service; title page; post evaluation; Tax incentives; Compliance costs; Value-added tax; Global; East Asia
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Chile: Fiscal Transparency Evaluation
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Strong fiscal institutions have contributed to Chile’s macroeconomic stability, and recent reform initiatives have focused on enhancing these institutions and fiscal transparency. This report assesses fiscal transparency practices in Chile in relation to the requirements of the IMF’s Fiscal Transparency Code and confirms that many elements of sound fiscal transparency practices are already in place. Chile’s practices meet the principles of the code at a good or advanced level for 21 out of the 36 principles. This is a good score, compared to the average for Latin American Countries and Emerging Market Economies. On a further nine principles, Chile meets the basic standard of practice. Chile’s fiscal transparency practices are very strong for fiscal forecasting and budgeting, followed by fiscal reporting, while fiscal risk analysis and management demonstrate more mixed results. Further improvements could be achieved relatively easily through the publication of some internal analyses or through a more timely or user-friendly publication of already available information.
Keywords:
IMF mission team; government finance statistics manual; Chilean authorities; IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department; IMF team; Budget planning and preparation; Fiscal risks; Financial statements; Government finance statistics; Global; Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
Authorities’ Fiscal Forecasts in Latin America: Are They Optimistic?
Metodij Hadzi-Vaskov
,
Mr. Luca A Ricci
,
Alejandro M. Werner
, and
Rene Zamarripa
Do governments in Latin America tend to be optimistic when preparing budgetary projections? We address this question by constructing a novel dataset of the authorities’ fiscal forecasts in six Latin American economies using data from annual budget documents over the period 2000-2018. In turn, we compare such forecasts with the outturns reported in the corresponding budget documents of the following years to understand the evolution of fiscal forecast errors. Our findings suggest that: (i) for most countries, there is no general optimistic bias in the forecasts for the fiscal balance-to-GDP ratio (though there may be for the components); (ii) fiscal forecasts have improved for some countries over time, albeit they have worsened for others; (iii) in terms of drivers, we show that forecast errors for the fiscal balance-to-GDP ratio are positively correlated with GDP growth and terms of trade changes and negatively with GDP deflator surprises; (iv) forecast errors for public debt-to-GDP ratios are negatively associated with surprises to GDP growth; (v) lastly, budget balance rules seem to help contain the size of the fiscal forecast errors.
Keywords:
forecast bias; budget balance rule; GDP ratio; expenditure rule; revenue-to-GDP ratio; Fiscal stance; Budget planning and preparation; Fiscal rules; Caribbean
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Chile: Informe de Asistencia Técnica-Adopción e institucionalización de las revisiones del gasto
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
El Gobierno de Chile ha anunciado que está comprometido a alcanzar su meta fiscal y contener el crecimiento del gasto. El objetivo de la meta fiscal es reducir el déficit estructural en 0,2% del PIB en cada año del mandato presidencial (2018-2021). A fin de alcanzar esa meta, el Gobierno anunció un plan de consolidación cuatrienal para reducir gradualmente el gasto anual, en aproximadamente US$1.100 millones, para lograr un ahorro total de US$4.400 millones durante el período1. El Gobierno ha alcanzado la meta que había fijado para el balance estructural de 2018. Con el objetivo de facilitar la consecución de estas metas en los próximos años, y liberar espacio fiscal para el programa del Presidente, el Gobierno está adoptando una nueva herramienta: las revisiones del gasto (RGs).
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; budget process; government property; policy priority; leverage government purchasing power; procurement practice
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Chile: Technical Assistance Report-Introducing and Institutionalizing Spending Reviews
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
This technical assistance report on Chile focuses on introducing and institutionalizing spending reviews (SR). The Chilean government has announced its commitment to achieving its fiscal target and containing expenditure growth. This report proposes a SR framework with targeted reviews conducted on an annual rolling basis, combined with a periodic comprehensive review at most once every four years. Both types of reviews include targets to identify savings options. Targeted reviews focus on a limited predefined review topic or area and on value for money and efficiency. Comprehensive reviews do not have any predefined review topics; they undertake an unconstrained search for the best saving options. The report sets out a four-stage process for conducting an SR, which would start in September and have final saving decisions made in April or May of the following year. The government will need to announce the topic for the first full targeted review to Congress in September 2019. This review will be conducted in late 2019 and early 2020; the results will be ready in April 2020 in time for incorporation into the process for the 2021 budget.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; budget process; government property; policy priority; leverage government purchasing power; procurement practice; annual budget; government nonspecialist estate; evaluation system; budget Director; government policy priority; government estate; OECD government; government program; improved government effectiveness; value for money of government program; Budget planning and preparation; Public expenditure review; Fiscal consolidation; Medium-term budget frameworks
Cover IMF How To Notes
Tax Expenditure Reporting and Its Use in Fiscal Management: A Guide for Developing Economies
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
This note aims to inform governments on how to account for tax expenditures and use that information in fiscal management. The emphasis is on developing and emerging market economies, where the use of such accounts is in its infancy because of data constraints, insufficient human and financial resources, and weak fiscal institutions. Most developing economies, more-over, do not have tax policy units in their Ministry of Finance to provide analytical support to the govern¬ment and legislature that integrates all revenue policy aspects. As a result, the tax policy framework can be fragmented: line ministries compete in the provision of sectoral tax incentives, but do not report on their cost. The note is organized as follows. The second section outlines the role that tax expenditure measurement and reporting can play in fiscal management. The third section provides a step-by-step approach on how tax expenditure accounts can be built, with emphasis on data, methods and models, and institutional requirements. The section is concerned primarily with the direct cost of tax expenditures—that is, the revenue forgone because of them. It does not deal with their indirect costs, which could include economic efficiency losses and additional tax administration resources, and it does not address assessment of the benefits of tax expenditures. The fourth summarizes the current sta¬tus of tax expenditure reporting in developing econo¬mies, with some reference to advanced economies. The last section concludes.
Keywords:
FADHTN; HTN; tax expenditure; expenditure estimate; accounting exercise; cost estimate; outlay expenditure; value-added tax; property tax; progressive tax; tax burden; Tax expenditures; Income tax systems; Value-added tax; Income and capital gains taxes; Personal income tax; Africa
Cover IMF How To Notes
Tax Expenditure Reporting and Its Use in Fiscal Management: A Guide for Developing Economies
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
This note aims to inform governments on how to account for tax expenditures and use that information in fiscal management. The emphasis is on developing and emerging market economies, where the use of such accounts is in its infancy because of data constraints, insufficient human and financial resources, and weak fiscal institutions. Most developing economies, more-over, do not have tax policy units in their Ministry of Finance to provide analytical support to the govern¬ment and legislature that integrates all revenue policy aspects. As a result, the tax policy framework can be fragmented: line ministries compete in the provision of sectoral tax incentives, but do not report on their cost. The note is organized as follows. The second section outlines the role that tax expenditure measurement and reporting can play in fiscal management. The third section provides a step-by-step approach on how tax expenditure accounts can be built, with emphasis on data, methods and models, and institutional requirements. The section is concerned primarily with the direct cost of tax expenditures—that is, the revenue forgone because of them. It does not deal with their indirect costs, which could include economic efficiency losses and additional tax administration resources, and it does not address assessment of the benefits of tax expenditures. The fourth summarizes the current sta¬tus of tax expenditure reporting in developing econo¬mies, with some reference to advanced economies. The last section concludes.
Keywords:
FADHTN; HTN; tax expenditure; expenditure estimate; accounting exercise; cost estimate; outlay expenditure
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Trinidad and Tobago: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This Selected Issues paper focuses on the impact of adjusting to commodity shocks in Trinidad and Tobago. With commodity resources being nonrenewable, developing a long-term strategy can help avoid unsustainable policies and ensure greater intergenerational equity. Recent country experiences highlight the benefits of precautionary buffers in smoothing fiscal adjustment process. Prudent and countercyclical fiscal policy implementation, structural reforms, and economic diversification can help contain the impact of commodity price booms and busts. Strong fiscal institutions are needed to help achieve and sustain the fiscal adjustment. Different adjustment strategies may be feasible depending on the needed size of the adjustment and country-specific circumstances. Trinidad and Tobago have faced several years of weak or negative growth on the back of terms-of-trade and energy supply shocks. A well-designed fiscal framework that considers potential uncertainties associated with commodity cycles can help improve fiscal management. Countercyclical policy implementation would help smooth the impact of commodity-induced sharp fluctuations in the economy.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; fund; crime-control program; commodity; crime reduction; property crime; crime management system; crime in Trinidad and Tobago; Commodity prices; Fiscal consolidation; Caribbean; Global
Cover Staff Discussion Notes
Second-Generation Fiscal Rules: Balancing Simplicity, Flexibility, and Enforceability
Luc Eyraud
,
Mr. Xavier Debrun
,
Andrew Hodge
,
Victor Duarte Lledo
, and
Ms. Catherine A Pattillo
Fiscal rule frameworks have evolved significantly in response to the global financial crisis. Many countries have reformed their fiscal rules or introduced new ones with a view to enhancing the credibility of fiscal policy and providing a medium-term anchor. Enforcement and monitoring mechanisms have also been upgraded. However, these innovations have made the systems of rules more complicated to operate, while compliance has not improved. The SDN takes stock of past experiences, reviews recent reforms, and presents new research on the effectiveness of rules. It also proposes guiding principles for future reforms to strike a better balance between simplicity, flexibility, and enforceability. Read the blog
Keywords:
SDN; fiscal rule; business cycle; deficit bias; Fiscal policy; debt; fiscal rules; fiscal governance; balance rule; expenditure rule; rule effectiveness; rule adoption; Fiscal stance; Budget planning and preparation; Global; Europe
Cover Gestión financiera pública en América Latina
Gestión financiera pública en América Latina
La clave de la eficiencia y la transparencia

Abstract

La eficiencia, la eficacia y la transparencia de la gestión financiera pública en América Latina son fundamentales para la supervisión de los recursos públicos, la estabilidad fiscal y el desarrollo económico sostenible. En años recientes, los países de América Latina han adoptado reformas en la gestión financiera pública y han logrado muchos avances importantes; sin embargo, todavía existen retos. Este libro reúne el conocimiento y las experiencias del personal técnico del FMI y el BID y de representantes de 16 Gobiernos de la región para documentar estas reformas, y examina las experiencias y las lecciones aprendidas. Es un recurso valioso para quienes se ocupan de estos temas en la gestión financiera pública.

Keywords:
BOOK; government; country; cost; cash management