(91) Raising of the minimum EU levels for mineral oil tax

Last but not least, US tax policy hardly encourages private sector savings, especially giving the preferential tax treatment of real estate.

Indeed, it makes far more sense to tax bad things, like pollution, than to tax good things like work and savings.

This provides an incentive for retailers to conceal sales and engage in tax arbitrage by sharing some of the illicit tax savings with the final consumer.

(107) Introduction of an (at least) EU wide CO2 energy tax that has a neutral effect with regard to competition and total tax revenue volume

The Swiss have also been under EU and sometimes international pressure to reduce banking secrecy and to raise tax rates to parity with the EU.

Most countries have introduced some form of forced savings (such as compulsory contribution to pension and provident funds) and provide tax incentives to stimulate long term household savings.

The EU also needs common initiatives to replace piece meal bilateral agreements on tax evasion and tax havens, which undermine the goal of a fair society.

The benefits of tax cut fueled growth would trickle down to all policies that have become fashionable in Europe and elsewhere, but that have failed. Tax cuts were supposed to stimulate savings, but household savings in the US have plummeted to zero.

Yes, the US needs tax increases to move the federal budget into surplus and policies to boost private savings.

Will they agree to pool tax revenues so that EU level institutions can credibly take charge of financial stability?

Reducing individual tax rates and taxes on savings and investment at best fosters modest increases in employment, work effort, and income.

Tax rates on different fuels vary by more than 50 across the EU, causing major distortions in the single market.

During its EU presidency, the Federal Government continues to pursue the issue of the above mentioned CO2 energy tax. Outlook

It makes much more sense to tax things that are bad, like pollution, than things that are good, like savings and work.

Reducing the budget deficit by limiting government spending and combating a culture of tax avoidance will increase total domestic savings available to invest.

Households, burdened with debt while their retirement savings wither and job prospects remain dim, have spent only a fraction of the tax cuts.

Governments have been promoting individual savings accounts for pensions, health, and unemployment insurance often, these are either mandatory or subsidized through tax incentives.

Level the playing field. And use the savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years without adding to our deficit.

In America today, with an overhang of household debt and high uncertainty, tax cuts are likely to be ineffective (as they were in Japan in the 1990 s). Much, if not most, of last February s US tax cut went into savings.

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Domestic financing for development can be greatly expanded through a combination of increased domestic savings, improved tax administration and more transparent public administration that widens public participation.

Greece is the second largest defense spender, relative to GDP, in the EU clearly, in today s economic climate, savings here could provide hugely welcome budget relief.

Turkey has also amended its tax laws to penalize excessive external borrowing by non financial firms and to introduce significant incentives aimed at encouraging long term household savings.

(tax collector) Open up! (tax collector) Open up!

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