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Principles and practice of taxing small business

Author

Listed:
  • Stuart Adam

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies and Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Helen Miller

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies and Institute for Fiscal Studies)

Abstract

The UK taxes business income at much lower rates than employment income. In this paper we describe the problems caused by that differentiation and assess the main arguments used to defend it. We summarise the Mirrlees Review’s proposals for radical reform that would align tax rates across legal forms while protecting incentives to save and invest. Finally, we consider the obstacles to implementing such a radical reform and suggest an approach to making progress in practice. This paper is a draft of a chapter to appear in G. Loutzenhiser and R. de la Feria (eds.), The Dynamics of Taxation: Essays in Honour of Judith Freedman, due to be published by Hart Publishing in Summer 2020.

Suggested Citation

  • Stuart Adam & Helen Miller, 2019. "Principles and practice of taxing small business," IFS Working Papers W19/31, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:19/31
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. (IFS), Institute for Fiscal Studies & Mirrlees, James (ed.), 2011. "Tax By Design: The Mirrlees Review," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199553747, Decembrie.
    2. Helen Miller & Thomas Pope & Kate Smith, 2024. "Intertemporal Income Shifting and the Taxation of Business Owner-Managers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(1), pages 184-201, January.
    3. Jonathan Cribb & Helen Miller & Thomas Pope & Jonathan Cribb, 2019. "Who are business owners and what are they doing?," Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE) Discussion Papers ESCoE DP-2019-12, Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE).
    4. Stuart Adam & James Browne & David Phillips & Barra Roantree, 2021. "Frictions and taxpayer responses: evidence from bunching at personal tax thresholds," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(3), pages 612-653, June.
    5. Judith Freedman & Emma Chamberlain, 1997. "Horizontal equity and the taxation of employed and self-employed workers," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 87-118, February.
    6. Paul Johnson & Gareth Myles, 2011. "The Mirrlees Review," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 319-329, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jack Blundell & Stephen Machin, 2020. "Self-employment in the Covid-19 crisis," CEP Covid-19 Analyses cepcovid-19-003, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Blundell, Jack & Machin, Stephen, 2020. "Self-employment in the Covid-19 crisis: a CEP Covid-19 analysis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 104550, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax; small business; self-employment; tax-motivated incorporation; entrepreneurship;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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