Tax Coordination, Tax Competition, and Revenue Mobilization in the West African Economic and Monetary Union

Mario Mansour and Grégoire Rota Graziosi

No 2013/163, IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: We review the current state of the West African Economic and Monetary Union’s tax coordination framework, against the main objectives of the WAEMU Treaty of 1994: reduce distortions to intra-community trade, and mobilize domestic tax revenue. The process of tax coordination in WAEMU is one of the most advanced in the world—de jure at least—, but remains in many areas ineffective de facto. Nevertheless, the framework has, to some extent, succeeded in converging tax systems, particularly statutory tax rates, and may have contributed to improving revenue mobilisation. Important lessons can be drawn from the WAEMU experience, particularly in terms of whether coordination should take the form of harmonization through a top-down approach, or a softer approach of sharing best practice and limiting certain types of tax competition.

Keywords: WP; excise tax; coordination framework; WAEMU state; tax competition; tax coordination; tax harmonization; competition model; tax cooperation; depreciation rule; government credibility; harmonization experience; tax coordination framework; term tax coordination; WAEMU member states; Corporate income tax; Value-added tax; Excises; West Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41
Date: 2013-07-09
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Tax coordination, tax competition, and revenue mobilization in the west african economic and monetary union (2013)
Working Paper: Tax coordination, tax competition, and revenue mobilization in the west african economic and monetary union (2013)
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