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Making income and property taxes more growth-friendly and redistributive in India

Author

Listed:
  • Isabelle Joumard

    (OECD)

  • Alastair Thomas

    (OECD)

  • Hermes Morgavi

    (OECD)

Abstract

Tax reforms are crucial to promoting inclusive growth in India. The replacement of a myriad of consumption taxes by a Goods and Services Tax (GST) will boost India's competitiveness, investment, job creation and tax compliance. The potential to raise additional revenue from taxes on goods and services is however limited. In contrast, reforming income and property taxes should help to i) raise more revenue to finance much needed social and physical infrastructure while keeping public debt under control; ii) reduce inequality by increasing the redistributive effect of taxation; iii) promote productivity by reducing distortions in the allocation of resources which emanate from the corporate income tax; iv) boost job creation by eliminating the bias against labour-intensive activities; v) promote confidence, and thus investment, by improving clarity and certainty regarding tax rules and their application and vi) reinforce the ability of states and municipalities to provide key public infrastructure and services. This paper presents the main characteristics of the tax system as well as the rationale and options for reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabelle Joumard & Alastair Thomas & Hermes Morgavi, 2017. "Making income and property taxes more growth-friendly and redistributive in India," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1389, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1389-en
    DOI: 10.1787/5e542f11-en
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez, 2013. "A Theory of Optimal Inheritance Taxation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 81(5), pages 1851-1886, September.
    2. Thomas Piketty & Nancy Qian, 2009. "Income Inequality and Progressive Income Taxation in China and India, 1986-2015," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 53-63, April.
    3. Alastair Thomas & Isabelle Joumard & Tibor Hanappi & Michelle Harding, 2017. "Taxation and Investment in India," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1397, OECD Publishing.
    4. Rao, R. Kavita & Sengupta, D.P., 2014. "Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting: An Indian Perspective," Working Papers 14/133, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    5. Ernesto Crivelli & Ruud De Mooij & Michael Keen, 2016. "Base Erosion, Profit Shifting and Developing Countries," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 72(3), pages 268-301, September.
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    7. Hansjörg Blöchliger, 2015. "Reforming the Tax on Immovable Property: Taking Care of the Unloved," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1205, OECD Publishing.
    8. Dan Andrews & Chiara Criscuolo, 2013. "Knowledge-Based Capital, Innovation and Resource Allocation: A Going for Growth Report," OECD Economic Policy Papers 4, OECD Publishing.
    9. M. Govinda Rao, 2013. "Property Tax System in India: Problems and Prospects of Reform," Working Papers 13/114, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    10. Rao, R. Kavita & Tandon, Suranjali & Mukherjee, Sacchidananda, 2016. "Corporate Tax: A brief assessment of some exemptions," Working Papers 16/165, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    11. Mauro Pisu, 2012. "Less Income Inequality and More Growth – Are they Compatible? Part 5. Poverty in OECD Countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 928, OECD Publishing.
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    13. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-00879813 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Isabelle Joumard & Peter Hoeller & Jean-Marc Fournier & Hermes Morgavi, 2017. "Public debt in India: Moving towards a prudent level?," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1400, OECD Publishing.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gaurav Datt & Ranjan Ray & Christopher Teh, 2022. "Progressivity and redistributive effects of income taxes: evidence from India," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 141-178, July.
    2. Kichan Yoon & Gyubeom Park & Munjae Lee, 2020. "Priority Analysis of Right Remedies of Basic Living Recipients in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-9, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    base erosion and profit shifting; income tax; inheritance tax; tax administration; tax system;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue

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