More than Revenue: Main Challenges for Taxation in Latin America and the Caribbean

Teresa Ter-Minassian

No 4803, Research Department Publications from Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department

Abstract: This paper aims to provide an overview of the current state of taxation in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, and its main reform needs and options. It previews the findings of recent studies prepared or commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for its forthcoming flagship publication More than Revenue: Taxation as a Development Tool in the -Development in the Americas- series. Reflecting fiscal consolidation imperatives, the main objective of fiscal policies in the region in recent decades has been revenue mobilization, often at the expense of efficiency and equity objectives. This paper analyzes the region’s taxation in regard to revenue adequacy, efficiency, vertical and horizontal equity, ease of administration and compliance, and degree of fiscal decentralization, concluding that there is significant scope for reforms that would result in simultaneous improvement on several of these fronts. Although the paper does not provide a specific blueprint for reforms, which would need to be designed on a country-by-country basis, it identifies directions for reform that are relevant for most of the region.

JEL-codes: H20 H21 H22 H23 H24 H25 H26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-iue, nep-lam and nep-pbe
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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