This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Tax Reform for Efficiency and Fairness in Canada

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Alexandra Bibbee ()
Abstract

The Canadian government has set a high priority on reducing the economic burden of taxation. In a context of fiscal surpluses, it has been: markedly reducing corporate income and capital taxes; providing more personal tax relief especially at lower incomes and above all for saving; and cutting the federal value added tax (GST). While such measures, in particular income and capital tax cuts, reduce the economic damage caused by tax, Canada should go further along this route with significant revenue-neutral reforms to achieve a more efficient tax mix that also retains its redistributive features. Numerous tax preferences to favoured activities, firm types, investments and savings vehicles narrow the tax base and create loopholes, keeping statutory rates higher than otherwise and distorting resource allocation. They should therefore be removed. It would also help to shift the tax mix toward more user fees and indirect taxes – including VAT, environmental levies and property taxes – which do not distort inter-temporal economic choices as income taxes do. Lower corporate and personal income taxes could improve the incentives for capital formation, FDI, innovation, entrepreneurship, labour-force participation, work effort, and the pursuit of higher education. The result would be higher standards of living.

Réforme fiscale au Canada pour plus d’efficience et d’équité
Le gouvernement canadien s’est fixé pour priorité d’alléger la charge fiscale qui pèse sur l’économie. Dans un contexte d’excédents budgétaires, cette stratégie s’articule autour des objectifs suivants : réduire de manière significative l’impôt sur les sociétés et les impôts sur le capital ; multiplier les allégements fiscaux en faveur des particuliers, surtout ceux à bas revenus ; et abaisser la taxe fédérale sur les produits et services (TPS). Même si ces mesures, et notamment les baisses de l’impôt sur le revenu et sur le capital, atténuent les préjudices économiques causés par l’impôt, le Canada devrait aller plus loin dans cette direction en engageant de vastes réformes sans incidence sur les recettes visant à établir une structure fiscale plus efficiente qui conserve ses fonctions redistributives. De nombreux avantages fiscaux qui favorisent certains types d’activités, d’entreprises, de produits d’investissement et d’épargne restreignent l’assiette d’imposition et créent des failles, ce qui maintient les taux légaux à un niveau inutilement élevé et fausse la répartition des ressources. Ils devraient donc être supprimés. Il serait également judicieux de rééquilibrer la structure fiscale en faveur des droits d’utilisation et des impôts indirects – y compris la TVA, les impôts liés à l’environnement et les impôts fonciers – qui ne faussent pas les choix économiques intertemporels, contrairement aux impôts sur le revenu. Une baisse de l’imposition des ménages et des sociétés pourrait encourager la formation de capital, l’IDE, l’innovation, l’entrepreneuriat, la participation à l’activité économique, le travail et la poursuite d’études supérieures, améliorant ainsi le niveau de vie.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help file. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.sourceoecd.org/10.1787/240634153012
File Format: text/html
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by OECD Economics Department in its series OECD Economics Department Working Papers with number 631.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: 12 Aug 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:631-en

Contact details of provider:
Postal: 2 rue Andre Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16
Email:
Web page: http://www.oecd.org
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: ().

Related research
Keywords: taxation Canada Canada dépense fiscale taxe à la consommation taxation personal income tax progressivité de l’impôt impôt sur les corporations impôt sur les particuliers

Find related papers by JEL classification:
E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy
H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? IDEAS also covers the most complete directory of Economics departments and institutes, EDIRC.

This page was last updated on 2008-11-17.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.