More than Revenue: Taxation as a Development Tool

01 02 Taxation in Latin America is largely viewed as a means of generating income to keep the government in business. In recent years, progress has been made towards increasing total revenue, but most countries in the region still lag well behind other countries with similar levels of development. More importantly, Latin American policymakers still largely ignore the potential of taxation to contribute to other important development goals. Yet dependence on consumption taxes such as the VAT and the regressive bent of the personal income tax structure have squandered the opportunity to attack the region's serious income inequality. In addition, the importance of efficiency in taxation has also been underestimated with a proliferation of inefficient ad hoc taxes such as those on bank transactions and exports. Governments have repeatedly missed the chance to influence consumption and production patterns by using taxes to effect relative price changes. More than Revenue aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the current state of taxation in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, its main reform needs, and possible reform strategies that take into account the likely economic, institutional, and political constraints on the reform process. 02 02 This exciting new volume provides an up-to-date overview of the current state of taxation in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, its main reform needs, and possible reform strategies that take into account the likely economic, institutional, and political constraints on the reform process. 31 02 Provides an up-to-date overview of the current state of taxation in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. 04 02 PART I: OVERVIEW PART II: GENERAL TOPICS Where We Are and How We Got Here: Stylized Facts of Taxation in LAC The Political Economy of Taxation and Tax Reforms Taxation and Stabilization Labor Effects of Taxation Sub-National Taxation Tax and Customs Administration: Progress to Date and Challenges Ahead PART III: SPECIFIC TAXES: CHALLENGES AND POLICY OPTIONS Personal Income Taxes Corporate Income Taxes Value-Added Taxes Non-Renewable Resource Revenues Environmental Taxes The Perils of Expediency 13 02 The IDB is an international institution created in 1959 to foster economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is the main source of multilateral financing and expertise for sustainable economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. A