IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/oec/ecoaaa/1389-en.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Making income and property taxes more growth-friendly and redistributive in India

Author

Listed:
  • Isabelle Joumard

    (OECD)

  • Alastair Thomas

    (OECD)

  • Hermes Morgavi

    (OECD)

Abstract

Tax reforms are crucial to promoting inclusive growth in India. The replacement of a myriad of consumption taxes by a Goods and Services Tax (GST) will boost India's competitiveness, investment, job creation and tax compliance. The potential to raise additional revenue from taxes on goods and services is however limited. In contrast, reforming income and property taxes should help to i) raise more revenue to finance much needed social and physical infrastructure while keeping public debt under control; ii) reduce inequality by increasing the redistributive effect of taxation; iii) promote productivity by reducing distortions in the allocation of resources which emanate from the corporate income tax; iv) boost job creation by eliminating the bias against labour-intensive activities; v) promote confidence, and thus investment, by improving clarity and certainty regarding tax rules and their application and vi) reinforce the ability of states and municipalities to provide key public infrastructure and services. This paper presents the main characteristics of the tax system as well as the rationale and options for reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabelle Joumard & Alastair Thomas & Hermes Morgavi, 2017. "Making income and property taxes more growth-friendly and redistributive in India," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1389, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1389-en
    DOI: 10.1787/5e542f11-en
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1787/5e542f11-en
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1787/5e542f11-en?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez, 2013. "A Theory of Optimal Inheritance Taxation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 81(5), pages 1851-1886, September.
    2. Thomas Piketty & Nancy Qian, 2009. "Income Inequality and Progressive Income Taxation in China and India, 1986-2015," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 53-63, April.
    3. Alastair Thomas & Isabelle Joumard & Tibor Hanappi & Michelle Harding, 2017. "Taxation and Investment in India," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1397, OECD Publishing.
    4. Rao, R. Kavita & Sengupta, D.P., 2014. "Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting: An Indian Perspective," Working Papers 14/133, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    5. Ernesto Crivelli & Ruud De Mooij & Michael Keen, 2016. "Base Erosion, Profit Shifting and Developing Countries," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 72(3), pages 268-301, September.
    6. Sunil Mani, 2010. "Financing of industrial innovations in India: how effective are tax incentives for R&D?," International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(2), pages 109-131.
    7. Hansjörg Blöchliger, 2015. "Reforming the Tax on Immovable Property: Taking Care of the Unloved," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1205, OECD Publishing.
    8. Dan Andrews & Chiara Criscuolo, 2013. "Knowledge-Based Capital, Innovation and Resource Allocation: A Going for Growth Report," OECD Economic Policy Papers 4, OECD Publishing.
    9. M. Govinda Rao, 2013. "Property Tax System in India: Problems and Prospects of Reform," Working Papers 13/114, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    10. Rao, R. Kavita & Tandon, Suranjali & Mukherjee, Sacchidananda, 2016. "Corporate Tax: A brief assessment of some exemptions," Working Papers 16/165, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    11. Mauro Pisu, 2012. "Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 5. Poverty in OECD Countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 928, OECD Publishing.
    12. Dan Andrews & Chiara Criscuolo, 2013. "Knowledge-Based Capital, Innovation and Resource Allocation," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1046, OECD Publishing.
    13. Isabelle Joumard & Peter Hoeller & Jean-Marc Fournier & Hermes Morgavi, 2017. "Public debt in India: Moving towards a prudent level?," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1400, OECD Publishing.
    14. Åsa Johansson & Chistopher Heady & Jens Matthias Arnold & Bert Brys & Laura Vartia, 2008. "Taxation and Economic Growth," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 620, OECD Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gaurav Datt & Ranjan Ray & Christopher Teh, 2022. "Progressivity and redistributive effects of income taxes: evidence from India," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 141-178, July.
    2. Kichan Yoon & Gyubeom Park & Munjae Lee, 2020. "Priority Analysis of Right Remedies of Basic Living Recipients in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-9, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Åsa Johansson, 2016. "Public Finance, Economic Growth and Inequality: A Survey of the Evidence," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1346, OECD Publishing.
    2. Henrik Braconier & Giuseppe Nicoletti & Ben Westmore, 2015. "Policy challenges for the next 50 years," OECD Journal: Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2015(1), pages 9-66.
    3. Jean-Marc Fournier & Åsa Johansson, 2016. "The Effect of the Size and the Mix of Public Spending on Growth and Inequality," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1344, OECD Publishing.
    4. Andreas Kappeler, 2015. "Estonia: Raising Productivity and Benefitting more from Openness," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1215, OECD Publishing.
    5. Balázs Égert, 2021. "Investment in OECD Countries: a Primer," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 63(2), pages 200-223, June.
    6. Spencer Bastani & Daniel Waldenström, 2020. "How Should Capital Be Taxed?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 812-846, September.
    7. Wang, Zhixin & Guo, Ju-e & Song, Pengcheng & Zhang, Xuan, 2023. "Is wealth inequality reversible? A surveying parallel evolution with complex economic system," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    8. Chiara Criscuolo & Peter N. Gal & Carlo Menon, 2014. "The Dynamics of Employment Growth: New Evidence from 18 Countries," CEP Discussion Papers dp1274, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. Douglas Sutherland & Peter Hoeller, 2014. "Growth Policies and Macroeconomic Stability," OECD Economic Policy Papers 8, OECD Publishing.
    10. Ciriaci, Daria & Grassano, Nicola & Vezzani, Antonio, 2019. "Regulations and location choices of top R&D investors worldwide," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 29-42.
    11. Isabelle Joumard & Mauro Pisu & Debra Bloch, 2012. "Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are They Compatible? Part 3. Income Redistribution via Taxes and Transfers Across OECD Countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 926, OECD Publishing.
    12. Geraldine Ang & Dirk Röttgers & Pralhad Burli, 2017. "The empirics of enabling investment and innovation in renewable energy," OECD Environment Working Papers 123, OECD Publishing.
    13. Rao, M. Govinda & Kumar, Sudhanshu, 2017. "Envisioning Tax Policy for Accelerated Development in India," Working Papers 17/190, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    14. Jean-Marc Fournier, 2015. "The negative effect of regulatory divergence on foreign direct investment," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1268, OECD Publishing.
    15. Dan ANDREWS & Chiara CRISCUOLO & Dirk PILAT, 2015. "The Future of Productivity Improving the Diffusion of Technology and Knowledge," Communications & Strategies, IDATE, Com&Strat dept., vol. 1(100), pages 85-105, 4th quart.
    16. Åsa Johansson & Eduardo Olaberría, 2014. "Long-term Patterns of Trade and Specialisation," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1136, OECD Publishing.
    17. Flavio Calvino & Chiara Criscuolo & Carlo Menon, 2018. "A cross-country analysis of start-up employment dynamics," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 27(4), pages 677-698.
    18. Aurelien Quignon, 2022. "Market Regulation and Innovation: Direct and Indirect Effects," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 429-456, December.
    19. Chatterjee, Sidharta, 2020. "Capital Resource Inequality," MPRA Paper 104161, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Robert P. Hagemann, 2012. "Fiscal Consolidation: Part 6. What Are the Best Policy Instruments for Fiscal Consolidation?," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 937, OECD Publishing.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    base erosion and profit shifting; income tax; inheritance tax; tax administration; tax system;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1389-en. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/edoecfr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.