Other areas
EU Commission Labels UK Patent Box Harmful Tax Competition
Institute for Fiscal Studies (October 2013).
EU Commission has opined that the UK's Patent Box breaches the code of conduct for business taxation, which aims to prevent countries from operating policies that result in harmful tax competition. The Patent Box provides a 10% rate of corporation tax for the income deemed to be derived from patents. The policy, originally announced by the previous Labour Government, came into effect in April this year. Once fully in place it is estimated by the Office for Budget Responsibility to cost 1.1 billion pounds a year. One aim of the policy is to encourage innovative activities in the UK. The government highlighted that the policy focuses on patents, as opposed to other forms of intellectual property, because they have "a particularly strong link to ongoing high-tech R&D".
Intellectual Property Box Regimes: Effective Tax Rates and Tax Policy Considerations
Lisa Evers, Helen Miller and Christoph Spengel (September 2013).
Intangible assets constitute a major input and value-driver for multinational firms. Often, the related intellectual property does not have a clear geographical location and firms use this flexibility to relocate IP and the associated income to low-tax countries in order to reduce their overall tax bill. Consequentially, tax legislators struggle with how to tax income from IP. In this regard, the most significant policy innovation in recent years has been the introduction of Intellectual Property (IP) Box regimes that offer a substantially reduced corporate tax rate for income derived from patents and other forms of IP. In Europe, 11 countries currently offer an IP Box with tax rates varying from 0% in Malta to 15.5% in France. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of the IP Box regimes in place in Europe. It addresses several aspects of the design of IP Boxes in detail which to date have received little attention, in particular the treatment of expenses related to qualifying income. Second, it incorporates IP Box regimes into effective tax rate measures for investment in a self-developed patent. In doing so, it is able to incorporate features of the tax base, including the treatment of R&D expenses. Third, it discusses IP Box policies' design features and the incentives they create.
Regulatory and Competition Reform Agenda: A high level assessment of the gains
COAG (August 2012).
The Productivity Commission was requested to conduct a 'preliminary high-level review' of sixteen areas of reform identified by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) at its April 2012 meeting.
Rorts and Loopholes: Tax Evasion, Avoidance & Tax Breaks
ACTU (September 2011).
This paper looks at the tax loopholes that allows for tax evasion to occur.
Catholic Social Services Australia Statement of Reform Priorities
Bishop Pat Power (September 2011).
Catholic Social Services Australia's statement of taxation reform priorities in preparation to the Tax Forum 4-5 October 2011.
Tax Havens: Private Gains and Social Losses
Jason Sharman, Inside Story (20 May 2011).
An article in Swiburne University's "Inside Story" on tax havens, and how the biggest havens aren't on faraway islands.
Gender Equity and the Henry Tax Review: Considering the “capabilities” approach
Miranda Stewart, University of Melbourne (30 Mar 2011).
A presentation by Miranda Stewart given at the Women and Tax Seminar at Melbourne Law School, and re-presented at the ACOSS National Conference in March 2011. It provides an overview of how the Henry Review can be interpreted in light of Amartya Sen's "capabilities" approach, particularly as it relates to women.
What the public wants discussed at the Tax Forum
National Welfare Rights Network (16 Dec 2010).
Results of a poll commissioned by Welfare Rights and conducted by the Australia Institute in November 2010, investigating what topics the Australian public would like to see discussed at the upcoming Tax Forum in October 2011.
