Indirect Tax Initiatives and Global Rebalancing

Chunding Li () and John Whalley

No 17919, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper discusses how joint cross country indirect tax initiatives can be used to achieve global rebalancing. This is potentially an important development for G20 discussions which thus far have centered on exchange rates as the instruments to achieve rebalancing. We suggest that if China and Germany (as major surplus countries) switch their present VAT systems from a destination principle to an origin principle, and the US (as the major deficit country) adopts a VAT on a destination principle VAT, jointly these actions can significantly reduce the three countries' joint imbalances and so contribute to global rebalancing. We use a numerical general equilibrium model with a monetary structure incorporating inside money to capture endogeneity of trade imbalances, and to also investigate the potential impacts of such initiatives. These confirm that VAT structures are not only good for global rebalancing but also the changes we consider are beneficial for welfare and revenue collection. Our research is aimed to inject new ideas to the present global rebalancing debate.

JEL-codes: F10 F32 F47 H20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cmp
Note: IFM ITI PE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published as Chunding Li & John Whalley, 2017. "Indirect Tax Initiatives and Global Rebalancing," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo, vol. 63(1), pages 24-44.

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