Pakistan - Tax Policy Report : Tapping Tax Bases for Development - Full Report

The main message of this report is that Pakistan can take measures to increase the tax to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio by around 3.5 percentage points over the next five years. In order to ensure a healthy long-run economic development, Pakistan needs to embrace substantial changes in tax policy aimed at increasing the buoyancy of the tax system, broadening the tax bases, reducing distortions and phasing out exemptions. Such tax reforms are also required to deal with the risks stemming from sustained large budget deficits. Failing to act sooner rather than later, only makes the problem more difficult to address without considerable instability, raises the probability of fiscal and financial disarray at some point in the future, and runs the risks of further constraining policy flexibility in future. This report highlights design ingredients for a comprehensive reform of tax policy in Pakistan. In the final analysis, the success of tax reform will depend less on the mechanism of taxation and more on the politics of taxation. Beyond adequate administrative resources and an implementation strategy, this will require a clear political recognition of the importance of the task and the willingness to persist with tax reform over the long haul.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank 2009-07-01
Subjects:	ACCOUNTING, BANK HOLDINGS, BID, BONDS, BUDGET DEFICIT, BUDGET DEFICITS, CAPACITY BUILDING, CAPITAL FLOWS, CAPITAL GAINS, CAPITAL STOCK, CENTRAL TAXES, COMMODITIES, COMMODITY, COMPLIANCE COSTS, CONSUMPTION TAXES, CORPORATE INCOME TAX, CORPORATE PROFIT TAX, CORPORATE TAX, CORPORATE TAX RATE, CORPORATE TAX RATES, CREDIT MARKETS, CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT, DEBT, DEDUCTIONS, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DIVIDENDS, DOUBLE TAXATION, DOUBLE TAXATION TREATIES, ECONOMIC CRISIS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC POLICIES, ECONOMIC REFORMS, EFFECTIVE TAX RATES, ELECTRICITY, EMERGING ECONOMIES, EMERGING MARKET, EMERGING MARKET ECONOMIES, ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS, EQUIPMENT, EXCHANGE RATE, EXCISE TAX, EXCISE TAXES, EXPENDITURE, EXPENDITURE RESPONSIBILITIES, EXPORT, EXPORT SECTORS, EXPORTS, EXTERNALITIES, FEDERAL TAX, FINANCIAL MARKETS, FINANCIAL SERVICES, FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, FISCAL BALANCE, FISCAL CONSOLIDATION, FISCAL DEFICIT, FISCAL DEFICITS, FISCAL IMBALANCE, FISCAL POLICY, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, FLAT RATE INCOME TAX, FLAT RATE INCOME TAXES, FLAT TAX, FOREIGN CAPITAL, FOREIGN INFLOWS, FRAUD, GLOBAL DEPOSITORY, GOVERNMENT BORROWING, GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES, GOVERNMENT REVENUES, GOVERNMENT SPENDING, HOUSEHOLD WEALTH, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, IMMOVABLE PROPERTY, IMMUNIZATION, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME LEVEL, INCOME LEVELS, INCOME TAX REFORM, INCOME TAX REFORMS, INCOMES, INDEBTEDNESS, INFLATION, INFORMAL ECONOMY, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, INTEREST PAYMENTS, INTEREST RATES, INTERNAL SAVINGS, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, INVESTING, INVESTMENT CLIMATE, INVESTMENT DECISIONS, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, LEVIES, LEVY, LIVING STANDARDS, LOSS OF CONFIDENCE, MACROECONOMIC STABILITY, MACROECONOMIC VULNERABILITIES, MARGINAL TAX RATES, MARKET EXPECTATIONS, MARKET FAILURES, MONETARY FUND, MONOPOLY, MORTGAGE, MORTGAGE INTEREST, NATIONAL BANK, NATIONAL FINANCE, OUTPUT, OUTPUTS, PERSONAL INCOME, PERSONAL INCOME TAXES, POLITICAL SYSTEM, POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY, PRIVATE BORROWERS, PRIVATE INVESTMENT, PRIVATE INVESTMENTS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATIZATION, PROPERTY TAX, PROPERTY TAX REFORM, PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS, PROVINCIAL SALES TAX, PUBLIC, PUBLIC ASSETS, PUBLIC DEBT, PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC INVESTMENT, PUBLIC POLICY, PUBLIC PROPERTY, PUBLIC RESOURCES, PUBLIC SECTOR, PUBLIC SPENDING, RAPID GROWTH, REAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, REFORM PROGRAM, REVENUE COLLECTION, REVENUE SHARING, SAFETY NET, SALES TAX, SALES TAXES, SHAREHOLDER, SHAREHOLDER EQUITY, SHORT-TERM CAPITAL, SMALL BUSINESSES, SOCIAL SAFETY NET, SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES, STATE BANK, STATUTORY TAX, STATUTORY TAX RATE, STATUTORY TAX RATES, STOCK MARKET, STOCK PRICES, STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH, TAX, TAX ADMINISTRATION, TAX BASE, TAX BASES, TAX CODE, TAX COLLECTION, TAX COLLECTIONS, TAX COMPLIANCE, TAX CREDITS, TAX ENFORCEMENT, TAX EVASION, TAX EXEMPTIONS, TAX EXPENDITURES, TAX INCENTIVES, TAX INCIDENCE, TAX LAWS, TAX LEGISLATION, TAX LIABILITIES, TAX OBLIGATION, TAX POLICIES, TAX POLICY, TAX PROVISIONS, TAX RATE, TAX RECEIPTS, TAX REFORM, TAX REFORMS, TAX REGIME, TAX REGIMES, TAX REGULATIONS, TAX RETURN, TAX RETURNS, TAX REVENUE, TAX REVENUES, TAX STRUCTURE, TAX STRUCTURES, TAX SYSTEM, TAX SYSTEMS, TAXABLE INCOME, TAXATION, TAXPAYER, TAXPAYER COMPLIANCE, TAXPAYER SERVICES, TAXPAYERS, TRADE BALANCE, TRANSFER TAXES, TRANSPARENCY, TURNOVER, WEAK ENFORCEMENT, WITHHOLDING TAX, WITHHOLDING TAXES,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000334955_20090828015257 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/3100
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!