IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/mhr/finarc/urnsici0015-2218(201503)711_118tlsote_2.0.tx_2-g.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Long Shadow of the European VAT, Exemplified by the Dutch Experience

Author

Listed:
  • Leon Bettendorf
  • Sijbren Cnossen

Abstract

The European Commission is evaluating the performance of the common VAT, which has many shortcomings. The numerous exemptions and differentiated rate structures violate the logic and functionality of the VAT. The exemptions distort input choices and outsourcing policies. Reduced rates are ill-targeted tools for mitigating the regressivity of the VAT. In view of these design shortcomings, the EU VAT is in danger of becoming an anachronism compared with modern VATs elsewhere. This paper illustrates its shortcomings with reference to the Dutch experience. The paper does not break new ground, but provides a disconcerting picture of the excess burden of a major revenue source. Bold reform is indicated.

Suggested Citation

  • Leon Bettendorf & Sijbren Cnossen, 2015. "The Long Shadow of the European VAT, Exemplified by the Dutch Experience," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 71(1), pages 118-139, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:mhr:finarc:urn:sici:0015-2218(201503)71:1_118:tlsote_2.0.tx_2-g
    DOI: 10.1628/001522108X14180276055734
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/article/the-long-shadow-of-the-european-vat-exemplified-by-the-dutch-experience-101628001522115x14180276055734
    Download Restriction: Fulltext access is included for subscribers to the printed version.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1628/001522108X14180276055734?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

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


    Cited by:

    1. Buettner, Thiess & Madzharova, Boryana & Zaddach, Orlando, 2023. "Income tax credits for consumer services: A tool for tackling VAT evasion?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    2. Sijbren Cnossen, 2015. "Mobilizing VAT revenues in African countries," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 22(6), pages 1077-1108, December.
    3. Sijbren Cnossen, 2017. "VAT and Agriculture: Lessons from Europe," CESifo Working Paper Series 6350, CESifo.
    4. Sijbren Cnossen, 2017. "VAT and Agriculture: Lessons from Europe," CPB Discussion Paper 341.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    5. Sijbren Cnossen, 2020. "Modernizing the European VAT," CESifo Working Paper Series 8279, CESifo.
    6. Yuriy Lupenko & Svitlana Andros & Andriy Lupenko & Yurii Yarmolenko, 2021. "Budgetary Vat Refund To Agricultural Producers: Analysis Of National Tax And Customs Legislation," Journal of Economy Culture and Society, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 64(64), pages 279-296, December.
    7. Santiago Acosta-Ormaechea & Atsuyoshi Morozumi, 2021. "The value-added tax and growth: design matters," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(5), pages 1211-1241, October.
    8. Sijbren Cnossen, 2022. "The C-inefficiency of the EU-VAT and what can be done about it," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(1), pages 215-236, February.
    9. Sijbren Cnossen, 2017. "VAT and Agriculture: Lessons from Europe," CPB Discussion Paper 341, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    10. Sijbren Cnossen, 2018. "VAT and agriculture: lessons from Europe," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(2), pages 519-551, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    VAT; European Union; exemptions; reduced rates;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

    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:mhr:finarc:urn:sici:0015-2218(201503)71:1_118:tlsote_2.0.tx_2-g. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Thomas Wolpert (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/fa .

    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.