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Tax structure and economic growth: Evidence from the European Union

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  • Desislava Stoilova

    (South-West University “Neofit Rilski” Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria)

Abstract

Optimum design of a tax system depends on numerous factors and differs from country to country. A variety of studies claim that raising consumption taxes while at the same time lowering taxes on labour and capital can stimulate the economy's growth forces. At the same time, other studies note that tax burden and tax structure would have different impacts on economic activity for different countries and periods and under varying circumstances. In this respect the main purpose of this paper is to provide one more estimate and a few more suggestions for growth-conductive taxation. The study is focused on the impact of tax structure on the economic growth in the EU-28 member states for the period 1996–2013. The descriptive analysis is focused on the cross-country differences in terms of total tax burden and design of tax structure, while the empirical analysis studies the impact of taxation on the economic growth through regressions on pooled panel data. The conclusion is that tax structure based on selective consumption taxes, taxes on personal income and property is more supporting to the economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Desislava Stoilova, 2017. "Tax structure and economic growth: Evidence from the European Union," Contaduría y Administración, Accounting and Management, vol. 62(3), pages 1041-1057, Julio-Sep.
    • Handle: RePEc:nax:conyad:v:62:y:2017:i:3:p:1041-1057
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax structure; Economic growth; European Union.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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