IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ays/ispwps/paper1221.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The GST/HST: Creating an Integrated Sales Tax in a Federal Country

Author

Listed:
  • Richard M. Bird

    (University of Toronto)

Abstract

Canada is not a country with a reputation for bold experimentation. However, Canadian experience demonstrates conclusively that an invoice-credit, destination-based value-added tax (VAT) is workable at the subnational level, with both federal and provincial governments retaining full control over the rates of their sales taxes as well as retaining a surprising degree of policy freedom with respect to the base of the tax. As this paper shows against the background of a concise history of sales taxation in Canada, it has taken decades of federal-provincial negotiations to produce the present substantially integrated national and provincial sales tax system. Moreover, the process not yet complete and the results are far from perfect. Nonetheless, Canada has shown that not only can VATs be introduced at the subnational level but that they can work surprisingly well – at least in a country with an over-riding national VAT.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard M. Bird, 2012. "The GST/HST: Creating an Integrated Sales Tax in a Federal Country," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1221, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:ays:ispwps:paper1221
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://icepp.gsu.edu/files/2015/03/ispwp1221.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bird,Richard & Gendron,Pierre-Pascal, 2011. "The VAT in Developing and Transitional Countries," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107401440.
    2. Bird, Richard M. & Mintz, Jack M. & Wilson, Thomas A., 2006. "Coordinating Federal and Provincial Sales Taxes: Lessons From the Canadian Experience," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 59(4), pages 889-903, December.
    3. Peter Dungan & Jack Mintz & Finn Poschmann & Thomas Wilson, 2008. "Growth Oriented Sales Tax Reform for Ontario: Replacing the Retail Sales Tax with a 7.5 Percent Value-Added Tax," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 273, September.
    4. Stanley L. Winer, 2011. "Reflections on the Role of Optimal Design in the Tax Policy Process," New Directions for Intelligent Government in Canada: Papers in Honour of Ian Stewart, in: Fred Gorbet & Andrew Sharpe (ed.),New Directions for Intelligent Government in Canada: Papers in Honour of Ian Stewart, pages 205-210, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    5. David Murrell & Weiqiu Yu, 2000. "The Effect of the Harmonized Sales Tax on Consumer Prices in Atlantic Canada," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 26(4), pages 451-460, December.
    6. Bernd Huber & Christian Baretti & Karl Lichtblau, 2000. "A Tax on Tax Revenue. The Incentive Effects of Equalizing Transfers: Evidence from Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 333, CESifo.
    7. Richard Bird & Pierre Gendron, 1998. "Dual VATs and Cross-Border Trade: Two Problems, One Solution?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 5(3), pages 429-442, July.
    8. Michael Smart, 2007. "Lessons in Harmony: What Experience in the Atlantic Provinces Shows About the Benefits of a Harmonized Sales Tax," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 253, July.
    9. Raj Chetty & Adam Looney & Kory Kroft, 2009. "Salience and Taxation: Theory and Evidence," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(4), pages 1145-1177, September.
    10. Chun-Yan Kuo & Thomas Mcgirr & Satya Poddar, 1988. "Measuring the Non-Neutralities of Sales and Excise Taxes in Canada," Development Discussion Papers 1988-08, JDI Executive Programs.
    11. Wallack,Jessica & Srinivasan,T. N. (ed.), 2006. "Federalism and Economic Reform," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521855808.
    12. Raj Chetty, 2009. "The Simple Economics of Salience and Taxation," NBER Working Papers 15246, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Michael Firth & Kenneth McKenzie, 2012. "The GST and Financial Services: Pausing for Perspective," SPP Research Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 5(29), September.
    14. Michael Smart, 2012. "Departures from Neutrality in Canada's Goods and Services Tax," SPP Research Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 5(5), February.
    15. Lawrence Kenny & Stanley Winer, 2006. "Tax Systems in the World: An Empirical Investigation into the Importance of Tax Bases, Administration Costs, Scale and Political Regime," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 13(2), pages 181-215, May.
    16. Grady, Patrick, 1990. "An Analysis of the Distributional Impact of the Goods and Services Tax," MPRA Paper 13144, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Keen, Michael & Lockwood, Ben, 2006. "Is the VAT a Money Machine?," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 59(4), pages 905-928, December.
    18. Brennan,Geoffrey & Buchanan,James M., 2006. "The Power to Tax," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521027922.
    19. Robin Boadway, 2011. "Rethinking Tax-Transfer Policy for 21st Century Canada," New Directions for Intelligent Government in Canada: Papers in Honour of Ian Stewart, in: Fred Gorbet & Andrew Sharpe (ed.),New Directions for Intelligent Government in Canada: Papers in Honour of Ian Stewart, pages 163-204, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    20. Michael Smart & Richard M. Bird, 2009. "The Economic Incidence of Replacing a Retail Sales Tax with a Value-Added Tax: Evidence from Canadian Experience," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 35(1), pages 85-97, March.
    21. Bird, Richard M. & Martinez-Vazquez, Jorge & Torgler, Benno, 2008. "Tax Effort in Developing Countries and High Income Countries: The Impact of Corruption, Voice and Accountability," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 55-71, March.
    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. David R. Agrawal & William F. Fox, 2017. "Taxes in an e-commerce generation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 24(5), pages 903-926, September.

    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. Richard Bird & Michael Smart & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, 2016. "Taxing Consumption in Canada: Rates, Revenues, and Redistribution," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1605, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    2. Richard M. Bird & Michael Smart, 2014. "VAT in a Federal System: Lessons from Canada," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 38-60, December.
    3. Raul A. Ponce-Rodriguez & Charles R. Hankla & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Eunice Heredia-Ortiz, 2016. "Frozen In Time: Rethinking the Poltical Economy of Decentralization: How Elections and Parties Shape the Provision of Local Public Goods," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1604, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    4. Michael Smart, 2007. "Lessons in Harmony: What Experience in the Atlantic Provinces Shows About the Benefits of a Harmonized Sales Tax," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 253, July.
    5. Richard M. Bird, 2011. "Subnational Taxation In Developing Countries: A Review Of The Literature," Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy (JICEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(01), pages 139-161.
    6. Bibek Adhikari, 2015. "When Does Introducing a Value-Added Tax Increase Economic Efficiency? Evidence from the Synthetic Control Method," Working Papers 1524, Tulane University, Department of Economics, revised Nov 2015.
    7. Richard M. Bird, 2012. "Subnational Taxation in Large Emerging Countries: BRIC Plus One," IMFG Papers 06, University of Toronto, Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance.
    8. Richard M. Bird, 2008. "Tax Assignment Revisited," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0805, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    9. Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa, 2017. "Institutional quality, economic development and the performance of VAT," BeFinD Working Papers 0115, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    10. Richard M. Bird, 2014. "Foreign advice and tax policy in developing countries," Chapters, in: Richard M. Bird & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez (ed.), Taxation and Development: The Weakest Link?, chapter 4, pages 103-144, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Richard M. Bird, 2013. "Below the Salt: Decentralizing Value-Added Taxes," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1302, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    12. Peter Dungan & Jack Mintz & Finn Poschmann & Thomas Wilson, 2008. "Growth Oriented Sales Tax Reform for Ontario: Replacing the Retail Sales Tax with a 7.5 Percent Value-Added Tax," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 273, September.
    13. Michael Smart & Richard M. Bird, 2009. "The Economic Incidence of Replacing a Retail Sales Tax with a Value-Added Tax: Evidence from Canadian Experience," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 35(1), pages 85-97, March.
    14. Dongwon Lee & Dongil Kim & Thomas E. Borcherding, 2013. "Tax Structure and Government Spending: Does the Value-Added Tax Increase the Size of Government?," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 66(3), pages 541-570, September.
    15. Martínez, Yolanda Ubago & Arzoz, Pedro Pascual & Arregui, Idoia Zabaleta, 2022. "Tax collection efficiency in OECD countries improves via decentralization, simplification, digitalization and education," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 298-318.
    16. Liran Einav & Dan Knoepfle & Jonathan Levin & Neel Sundaresan, 2014. "Sales Taxes and Internet Commerce," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(1), pages 1-26, January.
    17. Henrik Jacobsen Kleven & Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Emmanuel Saez, 2016. "Why Can Modern Governments Tax So Much? An Agency Model of Firms as Fiscal Intermediaries," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 83(330), pages 219-246, April.
    18. Gilbert, Ben & Graff Zivin, Joshua S., 2020. "Dynamic corrective taxes with time-varying salience," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    19. Alejandro Ponce & Enrique Seira & Guillermo Zamarripa, 2017. "Borrowing on the Wrong Credit Card? Evidence from Mexico," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(4), pages 1335-1361, April.
    20. Sule, Alan & Cemalcilar, Mehmet & Karlan, Dean S. & Zinman, Jonathan, 2015. "Unshrouding Effects on Demand for a Costly Add-on: Evidence from Bank Overdrafts in Turkey," Center Discussion Papers 198558, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Canada; VAT; subnational taxes; intergovernmental fiscal relations;
    All these keywords.

    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:ays:ispwps:paper1221. 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: Paul Benson (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ispgsus.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.