A taxpayer is a person or organization (such as a company ) subject to pay a tax . Modern taxpayers may have an identification number , a reference number issued by a government to citizens or firms .
109-471: The term "taxpayer" generally characterizes one who pays taxes . A taxpayer is an individual or entity that is obligated to make payments to municipal or government taxation-agencies . Taxes can exist in the form of income taxes and/or property taxes imposed on owners of real property (such as homes and vehicles), along with many other forms. People may pay taxes when they pay for goods and services which are taxed. The term "taxpayer" often refers to
218-433: A pay-as-you-earn basis, with corrections made after the end of the tax year . These corrections take one of two forms: Income-tax systems often make deductions available that reduce the total tax liability by reducing total taxable income. They may allow losses from one type of income to count against another – for example, a loss on the stock market may be deducted against taxes paid on wages. Other tax systems may isolate
327-426: A certain area ( social engineering ). For example, a high excise is used to discourage alcohol consumption, relative to other goods. This may be combined with hypothecation if the proceeds are then used to pay for the costs of treating illness caused by alcohol use disorder . Similar taxes may exist on tobacco , pornography , marijuana etc., and they may be collectively referred to as " sin taxes ". A carbon tax
436-446: A commodity is sold to its final consumer. Retail organizations contend that such taxes discourage retail sales. The question of whether they are generally progressive or regressive is a subject of much current debate. People with higher incomes spend a lower proportion of them, so a flat-rate sales tax will tend to be regressive. It is therefore common to exempt food, utilities, and other necessities from sales taxes, since poor people spend
545-412: A company is split between two or more individuals. A partnership is not a legal entity that is separate from the owners and therefore the partnership itself does not pay taxes. The classification depends on given country and may vary. Taxpayers' money help to pay for the items on the federal budget. The gap between revenue (money collected via taxes) and spending is known as the budget deficit. The money
654-469: A definition and system of classification of internal taxes, generally followed below. In addition, many countries impose taxes ( tariffs ) on the import of goods. Many jurisdictions tax the income of individuals and of business entities , including corporations . Generally, the authorities impose a tax on net profits from a business , on net gains, and on other income. Computation of income subject to tax may be determined under accounting principles used in
763-519: A fundamental problem with inhibiting evasion of local sales taxes is that liberal democracies, by their very nature, have few (if any) border controls between their internal jurisdictions. Therefore, it is not generally cost-effective to enforce tax collection on low-value goods carried in private vehicles from one jurisdiction to another with a different tax rate. However, sub-national governments will normally seek to collect sales tax on high-value items such as cars. One reason for taxpayers to evade taxes
872-399: A government department would, and some governments have adopted this approach. In Bangladesh , customs administration was partly privatized in 1991. Abuse by private tax collectors (see tax farming below) has on occasion led to revolutionary overthrow of governments who have outsourced tax administration. Tax farming is an historical means of collection of revenue. Governments received
981-406: A higher proportion of their incomes on these commodities, so such exemptions make the tax more progressive. This is the classic "You pay for what you spend" tax, as only those who spend money on non-exempt (i.e. luxury) items pay the tax. A small number of U.S. states rely entirely on sales taxes for state revenue, as those states do not levy a state income tax. Such states tend to have a moderate to
1090-641: A higher tax rate. Historically, in many countries, a contract needs to have a stamp affixed to make it valid. The charge for the stamp is either a fixed amount or a percentage of the value of the transaction. In most countries, the stamp has been abolished but stamp duty remains. Stamp duty is levied in the UK on the purchase of shares and securities, the issue of bearer instruments, and certain partnership transactions. Its modern derivatives, stamp duty reserve tax and stamp duty land tax , are respectively charged on transactions involving securities and land. Stamp duty has
1199-503: A huge scale. In August 2005, Bangladesh had hired four PSI companies – Cotecna Inspection SA, SGS (Bangladesh) Limited, Bureau Veritas BIVAC (Bangladesh) Limited and INtertek Testing Limited – for three years to certify price, quality and quantity of imported goods. In March 2008, the Bangladeshi National Board of Revenue cancelled Cotecna's certificate for serious irregularities, while importers' complaints about
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#17327728079871308-497: A large amount of tourism or inter-state travel that occurs within their borders, allowing the state to benefit from taxes from people the state would otherwise not tax. In this way, the state is able to reduce the tax burden on its citizens. The U.S. states that do not levy a state income tax are Alaska, Tennessee, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington state, and Wyoming. Additionally, New Hampshire and Tennessee levy state income taxes only on dividends and interest income. Of
1417-399: A lump sum in advance from a private entity, which then collects and retains the revenue and bears the risk of evasion by the taxpayers. It has been suggested that tax farming may reduce tax evasion in less developed countries. This system may be liable to abuse by the "tax-farmers" seeking to make a profit, if they are not subject to political constraints. Abuses by tax farmers (together with
1526-553: A particular amount. Such upper or lower limits may apply for retirement but not for health-care components of the tax. Some have argued that such taxes on wages are a form of "forced savings" and not really a tax, while others point to redistribution through such systems between generations (from newer cohorts to older cohorts) and across income levels (from higher income levels to lower income-levels) which suggests that such programs are really taxed and spending programs. Unemployment and similar taxes are often imposed on employers based on
1635-625: A result of market forces . Certain countries (usually small in size or population, which results in a smaller infrastructure and social expenditure) function as tax havens by imposing minimal taxes on the personal income of individuals and corporate income. These tax havens attract capital from abroad (particularly from larger economies) while resulting in loss of tax revenues within other non-haven countries (through base erosion and profit shifting ). Legal and economic definitions of taxes differ, such that many transfers to governments are not considered taxes by economists. For example, some transfers to
1744-524: A single-rate form of taxation regardless of ability to pay (the Community Charge , but more popularly referred to as the Poll Tax), led to widespread refusal to pay and to incidents of civil unrest, known colloquially as the ' Poll Tax Riots '. Some types of taxes have been proposed but not actually adopted in any major jurisdiction. These include: An ad valorem tax is one where the tax base
1853-494: A specific source), provides false information to the IRS about business income or expenses, deliberately underpays taxes owed or substantially understates taxes (by stating a tax amount on return which is less than the amount owed for the income reported). Tax evasion differs from tax avoidance , which is the use of legal methods to modify an individual's financial situation to lower the amount of income tax owed. Tax A tax
1962-449: A state's tax system, but such classification of tax avoidance is disputable since avoidance is lawful in self-creating systems. Both tax evasion and tax avoidance can be practiced by corporations, trusts, or individuals. In 1968, Nobel laureate economist Gary Becker first theorized the economics of crime , on the basis of which authors M.G. Allingham and A. Sandmo produced, in 1972, an economic model of tax evasion. This model deals with
2071-437: A tax on net worth (assets minus liabilities), as a percentage of the net worth, or a percentage of the net worth exceeding a certain level. The tax may be levied on " natural " or " legal persons. " A value-added tax (VAT), also known as Goods and Services Tax (GST), Single Business Tax, or Turnover Tax in some countries, applies the equivalent of a sales tax to every operation that creates value. To give an example, sheet steel
2180-441: A tax on an individual's income and corporate income . Countries or sub-units often also impose wealth taxes , inheritance taxes , gift taxes , property taxes , sales taxes , use taxes , environmental taxes , payroll taxes , duties , or tariffs . It is also possible to levy a tax on tax, as with a gross receipts tax . In economic terms ( circular flow of income ), taxation transfers wealth from households or businesses to
2289-583: A tax system that exempted the aristocracy) were a primary reason for the French Revolution that toppled Louis XVI. Pre-shipment inspection agencies like Société Générale De Surveillance S. A. and its subsidiary Cotecna are in business to prevent evasion of customs duty through under-invoicing and misdeclaration. However, PSI agencies have cooperated with importers in evading customs duties. Bangladeshi authorities found Cotecna guilty of complicity with importers for evasion of customs duties on
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#17327728079872398-400: Is ad valorem import duty, the tax base can be reduced through under-invoicing. Misdeclaration of quantity is more relevant for products with specific duty. Production description is changed to match a H. S. Code commensurate with a lower rate of duty. Smuggling is import or export of products by illegal means. Smuggling is resorted to for total evasion of customs duties, as well as for
2507-493: Is a per unit tax, where the tax base is the quantity of something, regardless of its price. An excise tax is an example. Consumption tax refers to any tax on non-investment spending and can be implemented by means of a sales tax, consumer value-added tax, or by modifying an income tax to allow for unlimited deductions for investment or savings. This includes natural resources consumption tax , greenhouse gas tax (i.e. carbon tax ), "sulfuric tax", and others. The stated purpose
2616-430: Is a distinction between an estate tax and an inheritance tax: the former taxes the personal representatives of the deceased, while the latter taxes the beneficiaries of the estate. However, this distinction does not apply in other jurisdictions; for example, if using this terminology UK inheritance tax would be an estate tax. An expatriation tax is a tax on individuals who renounce their citizenship or residence. The tax
2725-601: Is a full VAT. The province of Quebec collects the Quebec Sales Tax [QST] which is based on the GST with certain differences. Most businesses can claim back the GST, HST, and QST they pay, and so effectively it is the final consumer who pays the tax. An excise duty is an indirect tax imposed upon goods during the process of their manufacture, production or distribution, and is usually proportionate to their quantity or value. Excise duties were first introduced into England in
2834-442: Is a general tax levied periodically on residents who own personal property (personalty) within the jurisdiction. Vehicle and boat registration fees are subsets of this kind of tax. The tax is often designed with blanket coverage and large exceptions for things like food and clothing. Household goods are often exempt when kept or used within the household. Any otherwise non-exempt object can lose its exemption if regularly kept outside
2943-508: Is a legal entity that is separate from the owners for tax purposes. These major categories can be further divided in different subcategories. Individual taxpayers can be classified as either a citizen or an alien (an alien is a person who resides within the borders of a country and is not a national of that country). A citizen can further be classified as either a resident citizen or a non-resident citizen. Corporations can be classified into domestic, foreign and partnership. A foreign corporation
3052-422: Is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity ) by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities . Tax compliance refers to policy actions and individual behavior aimed at ensuring that taxpayers are paying the right amount of tax at the right time and securing
3161-427: Is a serious problem for the tax administration in many countries. Tax evasion is a crime in almost all developed countries, and the guilty party is liable to fines and/or imprisonment . In Switzerland , many acts that would amount to criminal tax evasion in other countries are treated as civil matters. Dishonestly misreporting income in a tax return is not necessarily considered a crime. Such matters are handled in
3270-596: Is a tax on the consumption of carbon-based non-renewable fuels, such as petrol, diesel-fuel, jet fuels, and natural gas. The object is to reduce the release of carbon into the atmosphere. In the United Kingdom, vehicle excise duty is an annual tax on vehicle ownership. An import or export tariff (also called customs duty or impost) is a charge for the movement of goods through a political border. Tariffs discourage trade , and they may be used by governments to protect domestic industries. A proportion of tariff revenues
3379-440: Is an ad valorem tax levy on the value of a property that the owner of the property is required to pay to a government in which the property is situated. Multiple jurisdictions may tax the same property. There are three general varieties of property: land, improvements to land (immovable human-made things, e.g. buildings), and personal property (movable things). Real estate or realty is the combination of land and improvements to
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3488-405: Is called tax evasion . Tax evasion is an illegal practice where a person, organization or corporation intentionally avoids paying his true tax liability. Those caught evading taxes are generally subject to criminal charges and substantial penalties. It's considered tax evasion if the taxpayer knowingly fails to report income or under-report income (claiming less income than you actually received from
3597-464: Is economically justified, as it will not deter production, distort market mechanisms or otherwise create deadweight losses the way other taxes do. When real estate is held by a higher government unit or some other entity not subject to taxation by the local government, the taxing authority may receive a payment in lieu of taxes to compensate it for some or all of the foregone tax revenues. In many jurisdictions (including many American states), there
3706-412: Is either resident foreign or non-resident foreign corporation. A resident foreign corporation is a foreign corporation engaged in trade or business in the country. A non-resident foreign corporation is a foreign corporation not engaged in trade or business within the country but deriving income from sources in the country. A partnership is a business structure where ownership and management responsibility of
3815-495: Is generally a gain on sale of capital assets—that is, those assets not held for sale in the ordinary course of business. Capital assets include personal assets in many jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions provide preferential rates of tax or only partial taxation for capital gains. Some jurisdictions impose different rates or levels of capital-gains taxation based on the length of time the asset was held. Because tax rates are often much lower for capital gains than for ordinary income, there
3924-468: Is imported by a machine manufacturer. That manufacturer will pay the VAT on the purchase price, remitting that amount to the government. The manufacturer will then transform the steel into a machine, selling the machine for a higher price to a wholesale distributor. The manufacturer will collect the VAT on the higher price but will remit to the government only the excess related to the "value-added" (the price over
4033-416: Is imposed on the value of real estate or other personal property. Property taxes are usually imposed by local governments and charged on a recurring basis. Real estate taxes are often subject to fluctuation based upon a jurisdiction's assessment of the worth of a property based on its condition, location and market value, and/or changes to the amounts apportioned to various recipients of the tax. The sales tax
4142-762: Is most often used as a method for states and local governments to raise revenue. Purchases made at the retail level are assessed a percentage of the sales price of a particular item. Rates vary between jurisdictions and the type of item bought. Excise taxes are based on the quantity of an item and not on its value. User fees are taxes that are assessed on a wide variety of services, including airline tickets, rental cars, toll roads, utilities, hotel rooms, licenses, financial transactions and many others. So-called sin taxes are imposed on items like cigarettes and alcohol. Luxury taxes are imposed on certain items, such as expensive cars or jewelry. Taxpayers can be classified into two major categories – individual and corporation. A corporation
4251-541: Is named FairTax . In Canada, the federal sales tax is called the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and now stands at 5%. The provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island also have a provincial sales tax [PST]. The provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Ontario have harmonized their provincial sales taxes with the GST—Harmonized Sales Tax [HST], and thus
4360-528: Is often hypothecated to pay the government to maintain a navy or border police. The classic ways of cheating a tariff are smuggling or declaring a false value of goods. Tax, tariff and trade rules in modern times are usually set together because of their common impact on industrial policy , investment policy , and agricultural policy . A trade bloc is a group of allied countries agreeing to minimize or eliminate tariffs against trade with each other, and possibly to impose protective tariffs on imports from outside
4469-544: Is often imposed based on a deemed disposition of all the individual's property. One example is the United States under the American Jobs Creation Act , where any individual who has a net worth of $ 2 million or an average income-tax liability of $ 127,000 who renounces his or her citizenship and leaves the country is automatically assumed to have done so for tax avoidance reasons and is subject to
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4578-486: Is sometimes called a net wealth tax . Recurrent property taxes may be imposed on immovable property (real property) and on some classes of movable property. In addition, recurrent taxes may be imposed on the net wealth of individuals or corporations. Many jurisdictions impose inheritance tax on property at time of inheritance or gift tax at the time of gift transfer. Some jurisdictions impose taxes on financial or capital transactions . A property tax (or millage tax)
4687-423: Is stored in tax havens stays undetected in random audits. Even though there is high diversity among people who evade taxes, there is a higher probability among the highest wealth group. According to Alstadsæter, Johannesen and Zucman 2019 the extent of taxes evaded is substantially higher with higher income, and exceptionally higher among people of the top wealth group. In line with this, the probability to appear in
4796-402: Is the personal benefits that come with it, thus the individual problems that lead to that decision Additionally, Wallschutzky's exchange relationship hypothesis presents as a sufficient motive for many. The exchange relationship hypothesis states that tax payers believe that the exchange between their taxes and the public good/social services as unbalanced. Furthermore, the little capability of
4905-439: Is the value of a good, service, or property. Sales taxes, tariffs, property taxes, inheritance taxes, and value-added taxes are different types of ad valorem tax. An ad valorem tax is typically imposed at the time of a transaction (sales tax or value-added tax (VAT)) but it may be imposed on an annual basis (property tax) or in connection with another significant event (inheritance tax or tariffs). In contrast to ad valorem taxation
5014-399: Is to reduce the environmental impact by repricing . Economists describe environmental impacts as negative externalities . As early as 1920, Arthur Pigou suggested a tax to deal with externalities (see also the section on Increased economic welfare below). The proper implementation of environmental taxes has been the subject of a long-lasting debate. An important feature of tax systems is
5123-412: Is widespread controversy and dispute about the proper definition of capital. Corporate tax refers to income tax, capital tax, net-worth tax, or other taxes imposed on corporations. Rates of tax and the taxable base for corporations may differ from those for individuals or for other taxable persons. Many countries provide publicly funded retirement or healthcare systems. In connection with these systems,
5232-472: The customs house , and revenue derived from that source is called excise revenue proper. The fundamental conception of the term is that of a tax on articles produced or manufactured in a country. In the taxation of such articles of luxury as spirits , beer, tobacco, and cigars, it has been the practice to place a certain duty on the importation of these articles (a customs duty ). Excises (or exemptions from them) are also used to modify consumption patterns of
5341-402: The elderly , unemployment benefits , transfer payments , subsidies and public transportation . Energy , water and waste management systems are also common public utilities . According to the proponents of the chartalist theory of money creation , taxes are not needed for government revenue, as long as the government in question is able to issue fiat money . According to this view,
5450-532: The 2008 tax gap found a range of $ 450–$ 500 billion, and unreported income to be about $ 2 trillion, concluding that 18 to 19 percent of total reportable income was not being properly reported to the IRS. Generally, individuals tend to evade taxes, while companies rather avoid taxes. There is a great heterogenic among people who evade people as it is a substantial issue in society, that is creating an excessive tax gap. Studies suggest that 8% of global financial wealth lies in offshore accounts. Often, offshore wealth that
5559-452: The CTA seeks to mitigate the misuse of shell companies for tax evasion purposes and bolster efforts to combat financial crimes within the U.S. jurisdiction. As of 2007 the most common means of tax evasion was overstatement of charitable contributions, particularly church donations. The IRS estimates that the 2001 tax gap was $ 345 billion and that the 2006 tax gap was $ 450 billion. A study of
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#17327728079875668-984: The European treasuries through suspected fraud and speculation with dividend tax. The five hardest hit countries have lost together at least $ 62.9 billion. Germany is the hardest hit country, with around €31 billion withdrawn from the German treasury. Estimated losses for other countries include at least €17 billion for France, €4.5 billion in Italy, €1.7 billion in Denmark and €201 million for Belgium. A paper by economists Annette Alstadsæter, Niels Johannesen and Gabriel Zucman, which used data from HSBC Switzerland (" Swiss leaks ") and Mossack Fonseca (" Panama Papers "), found that "on average about 3% of personal taxes are evaded in Scandinavia, but this figure rises to about 30% in
5777-541: The Exchequer George Osborne promised to collect £5 billion by "waging war" on tax evaders by announcing new powers for HMRC to target people with offshore bank accounts. The number of people prosecuted for tax evasion doubled in 2014/15 from the year before to 1,258. In the United States of America, Federal tax evasion is defined as the purposeful, illegal attempt to evade the assessment or
5886-563: The Pandora Papers also cites that the former Managing Director of IMF and French finance minister, Dominique Strauss-Kahn was permitted to create a consulting firm in the United Arab Emirates in 2018 after the expiry of tax exemptions of his Moroccan company, which he used for receiving millions of dollars worth of tax free consulting fees. A network of banks, stock traders and top lawyers has obtained billions from
5995-501: The Swiss tax courts, not the criminal courts. In Switzerland, however, some tax misconduct (such as the deliberate falsification of records) is criminal. Moreover, civil tax transgressions may give rise to penalties. It is often considered that the extent of evasion depends on the severity of punishment for evasion. Professor Christopher Hood first suggested privatization of tax enforcement to control tax evasion more efficiently than
6104-475: The UK tax collection agency stated that it would continue to crack down on tax evasion, with the goal of collecting £18 billion in revenue before 2015. In 2010, HMRC began a voluntary amnesty program that targeted middle-class professionals and raised £500 million. Corrupt tax officials co-operate with the taxpayers who intend to evade taxes. When they detect an instance of evasion, they refrain from reporting it in return for bribes . Corruption by tax officials
6213-412: The United States. In a 2017 study Alstadsæter et al. concluded based on random stratified audits and leaked data that occurrence of tax evasion rises sharply as amount of wealth rises and that the very richest are about 10 times more likely than average people to engage in tax evasion. The tax gap describes how much tax should have been raised in relation to much tax is actually raised. The IRS defines
6322-495: The above states, only Alaska and New Hampshire do not levy a state sales tax. Additional information can be obtained at the Federation of Tax Administrators website. In the United States, there is a growing movement for the replacement of all federal payroll and income taxes (both corporate and personal) with a national retail sales tax and monthly tax rebate to households of citizens and legal resident aliens. The tax proposal
6431-456: The amount of money a person or a corporation possesses. Efforts to evade income tax decline when the amounts involved are lower. The level of evasion also depends on the efficiency of the tax administration. Corruption by tax officials makes it difficult to control evasion. Tax administrations use various means to reduce evasion and increase the level of enforcement: for example, privatization of tax enforcement or tax farming. In 2011 HMRC ,
6540-485: The arts , public works , distribution , data collection and dissemination , public insurance , and the operation of government itself. A government's ability to raise taxes is called its fiscal capacity . When expenditures exceed tax revenue , a government accumulates government debt . A portion of taxes may be used to service past debts. Governments also use taxes to fund welfare and public services . These services can include education systems , pensions for
6649-412: The bloc. A customs union has a common external tariff , and the participating countries share the revenues from tariffs on goods entering the customs union. In some societies, tariffs also could be imposed by local authorities on the movement of goods between regions (or via specific internal gateways). A notable example is the likin , which became an important revenue source for local governments in
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#17327728079876758-605: The correct tax allowances and tax relief. The first known taxation occurred in Ancient Egypt around 3000–2800 BC. Taxes consist of direct or indirect taxes and may be paid in money or as labor equivalent. All countries have a tax system in place to pay for public, common societal, or agreed national needs and for the functions of government. Some countries levy a flat percentage rate of taxation on personal annual income, but most scale taxes are progressive based on brackets of yearly income amounts. Most countries charge
6867-404: The cost of the sheet steel). The wholesale distributor will then continue the process, charging the retail distributor the VAT on the entire price to the retailer, but remitting only the amount related to the distribution mark-up to the government. The last VAT amount is paid by the eventual retail customer who cannot recover any of the previously paid VAT. For a VAT and sales tax of identical rates,
6976-407: The country typically requires employers or employees to make compulsory payments. These payments are often computed by reference to wages or earnings from self-employment. Tax rates are generally fixed, but a different rate may be imposed on employers than on employees. Some systems provide an upper limit on earnings subject to the tax. A few systems provide that the tax is payable only on wages above
7085-412: The deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxpayer's tax liability, and it includes dishonest tax reporting, declaring less income, profits or gains than the amounts actually earned, overstating deductions, bribing authorities and hiding money in secret locations. Tax evasion is an activity commonly associated with the informal economy . One measure of
7194-422: The effect of discouraging speculative purchases of assets by decreasing liquidity. In the United States , transfer tax is often charged by the state or local government and (in the case of real property transfers) can be tied to the recording of the deed or other transfer documents. Some countries' governments will require a declaration of the taxpayers' balance sheet (assets and liabilities), and from that exact
7303-424: The elderly, unemployed, disabled and the poor. Examples include the earned income tax credit, child tax credits, unemployment insurance, food stamps, subsidized school meals, low-income housing assistance, energy assistance and more. The federal government spends its money in four major ways: direct payments, grants, contracts and insurance. Taxpayers may violate the law by not paying their mandatory taxes. This crime
7412-464: The estates of the deceased. In contrast with a tax on real estate (land and buildings), a land-value tax (or LVT) is levied only on the unimproved value of the land ("land" in this instance may mean either the economic term, i.e., all-natural resources, or the natural resources associated with specific areas of the Earth's surface: "lots" or "land parcels"). Proponents of the land-value tax argue that it
7521-542: The evasion of income tax, the main source of tax revenue in developed countries. According to the authors, the level of evasion of income tax depends on the detection probability and the level of punishment provided by law. Later studies, however, pointed limitations of the model, highlighting that individuals are also more likely to comply with taxes when they believe that tax money is appropriately used and when they can take part on public decisions. The literature's theoretical models are elegant in their effort to identify
7630-438: The extent of tax evasion (the "tax gap") is the amount of unreported income, which is the difference between the amount of income that the tax authority requests be reported and the actual amount reported. In contrast, tax avoidance is the legal use of tax laws to reduce one's tax burden. Both tax evasion and tax avoidance can be viewed as forms of tax noncompliance , as they describe a range of activities that intend to subvert
7739-456: The federal government borrows to cover the budget deficit is what creates the national debt. The government spends money for a variety of reasons: reduce inequality ("safety net" programs), provide public goods (fire, police, national defence), provide important public services like education and health (merit goods), debt interest payments, transport and military spending. The "safety net" programs are initiatives that give extra financial support to
7848-474: The federal level, and no state currently collects VAT; the overwhelming majority of states instead collect sales taxes . Canada uses both a VAT at the federal level (the Goods and Services Tax ) and sales taxes at the provincial level ; some provinces have a single tax combining both forms . In addition, most jurisdictions which levy a VAT or sales tax also legally require their residents to report and pay
7957-429: The government can also mandate that employers subtract payroll taxes from their workers' paychecks each pay period, and then match the sums deducted. Capital gains taxes are those paid on any profits made from the sale of an asset and are usually applied to stock and bond transactions. Estate taxes are imposed on the transfer of property upon the death of the owner. Property tax, sometimes known as an ad valorem tax ,
8066-793: The government expenditure of taxes raised is often highly debated in politics and economics . Tax collection is performed by a government agency such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States , His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the United Kingdom , the Canada Revenue Agency or the Australian Taxation Office . When taxes are not fully paid, the state may impose civil penalties (such as fines or forfeiture ) or criminal penalties (such as incarceration ) on
8175-627: The government. This affects economic growth and welfare , which can be increased (known as fiscal multiplier ) or decreased (known as excess burden of taxation ). Consequently, taxation is a highly debated topic by some, as although taxation is deemed necessary by consensus for society to function and grow in an orderly and equitable manner through the government provision of public goods and public services , others such as libertarians and anarcho-capitalists are anti-taxation and denounce taxation broadly or in its entirety, classifying taxation as theft or extortion through coercion along with
8284-401: The gross tax gap as the difference between the true tax liability for a given year and the taxes actually remitted on time. It comprises the nonfiling gap, the underreporting gap, and the underpayment (or remittance) gap. Voluntary tax compliance in the U.S. is approximately 85% of taxes actually due, leaving a gross tax gap of about 15%. The tax gap is growing mainly because of two factors,
8393-506: The household. Thus, tax collectors often monitor newspaper articles for stories about wealthy people who have lent art to museums for public display, because the artworks have then become subject to personal property tax. If an artwork had to be sent to another state for some touch-ups, it may have become subject to personal property tax in that state as well. Inheritance tax, also called estate tax, are taxes that arise for inheritance or inherited income. In United States tax law , there
8502-462: The import and export of contraband . Smugglers do not pay duty since the transport is covert, so no customs declaration is made. During the second half of the 20th century, value-added tax (VAT) emerged as a modern form of consumption tax throughout the world, with the notable exception of the United States . Producers who collect VAT from consumers may evade tax by under-reporting the amount of sales. The US has no broad-based consumption tax at
8611-425: The individual characteristics of the taxpayer, whereas indirect taxes are levied on transactions irrespective of the circumstances of buyer or seller." According to this definition, for example, income tax is "direct", and sales tax is "indirect". Tax evasion Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations , trusts , and others. Tax evasion often entails
8720-512: The jurisdiction, which tax-law principles in the jurisdiction may modify or replace. The incidence of taxation varies by system, and some systems may be viewed as progressive or regressive . Rates of tax may vary or be constant (flat) by income level. Many systems allow individuals certain personal allowances and other non-business reductions to taxable income, although business deductions tend to be favored over personal deductions. Tax-collection agencies often collect personal income tax on
8829-573: The lack of enforcement on the one hand and the lack of compliance on the other hand. The former is mainly rooted in the costly enforcement of the taxation law. The latter is based on the foundation that tax compliance is costly for individuals as well as firms (tax filling, bureaucracy ), hence not paying taxes would be more economical in their opinion. Customs duties are an important source of revenue in developing countries. Importers attempt to evade customs duty by (a) under-invoicing and (b) misdeclaration of quantity and product-description. When there
8938-734: The land. Property taxes are usually charged on a recurrent basis (e.g., yearly). A common type of property tax is an annual charge on the ownership of real estate , where the tax base is the estimated value of the property. For a period of over 150 years from 1695, the government of England levied a window tax , with the result that one can still see listed buildings with windows bricked up in order to save their owner's money. A similar tax on hearths existed in France and elsewhere, with similar results. The two most common types of event-driven property taxes are stamp duty , charged upon change of ownership, and inheritance tax , which many countries impose on
9047-508: The late Qing China . Occupational taxes or license fees may be imposed on businesses or individuals engaged in certain businesses. Many jurisdictions impose a tax on vehicles. A poll tax, also called a per capita tax , or capitation tax , is a tax that levies a set amount per individual. It is an example of the concept of fixed tax . One of the earliest taxes mentioned in the Bible of a half-shekel per annum from each adult Jew (Ex. 30:11–16)
9156-475: The loss, such that business losses can only be deducted against business income tax by carrying forward the loss to later tax years. In economics, a negative income tax (abbreviated NIT) is a progressive income tax system where people earning below a certain amount receive supplemental payment from the government instead of paying taxes to the government. Most jurisdictions imposing an income tax treat capital gains as part of income subject to tax. Capital gain
9265-586: The non-paying entity or individual. The levying of taxes aims to raise revenue to fund governing , to alter prices in order to affect demand , or to regulate some form of cost or benefit . States and their functional equivalents throughout history have used the money provided by taxation to carry out many functions. Some of these include expenditures on economic infrastructure ( roads , public transportation , sanitation , legal systems , public security , public education , public health systems ), military , scientific research & development , culture and
9374-560: The other three PSI companies mounted. Bangladesh planned to have its customs department train its officials in " WTO valuation , trade policy, ASYCUDA system, risk management" to take over the inspections. Cotecna was also found to have bribed Pakistan's prime minister Benazir Bhutto to secure a PSI contract by Pakistani importers. She and her husband were sentenced both in Pakistan and Switzerland. In early October 2021, 11.9 million leaked financial records in addition to 2.9 TB of data
9483-446: The payment of a tax imposed by federal law. Conviction of tax evasion may result in fines and imprisonment, such as five years in prison on each count of tax evasion. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has identified small businesses and sole proprietors as the largest contributors to the tax gap between what Americans owe in federal taxes and what the federal government receives. Small businesses and sole proprietorships contribute to
9592-417: The percentage of the tax burden as it relates to income or consumption. The terms progressive, regressive, and proportional are used to describe the way the rate progresses from low to high, from high to low, or proportionally. The terms describe a distribution effect, which can be applied to any type of tax system (income or consumption) that meets the definition. The terms can also be used to apply meaning to
9701-458: The public sector are comparable to prices. Examples include tuition at public universities and fees for utilities provided by local governments. Governments also obtain resources by "creating" money and coins (for example, by printing bills and by minting coins), through voluntary gifts (for example, contributions to public universities and museums), by imposing penalties (such as traffic fines ), by borrowing and confiscating criminal proceeds. From
9810-440: The purpose of taxation is to maintain the stability of the currency, express public policy regarding the distribution of wealth, subsidizing certain industries or population groups or isolating the costs of certain benefits, such as highways or social security. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes an analysis of the tax systems of member countries. As part of such analysis, OECD has developed
9919-563: The same time, tax avoidance was estimated at £1.7 billion (this does not include international tax arrangements that cannot be challenged under the UK law, including some forms of base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS)). In 2013, the Coalition government announced a crackdown on economic crime . It created a new criminal offence for aiding tax evasion and removed the requirement for tax investigation authorities to prove "intent to evade tax" to prosecute offenders. In 2015, Chancellor of
10028-410: The supply of people is in fact not fixed over time: on average, couples will choose to have fewer children if a poll tax is imposed. The introduction of a poll tax in medieval England was the primary cause of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt . Scotland was the first to be used to test the new poll tax in 1989 with England and Wales in 1990. The change from progressive local taxation based on property values to
10137-422: The system to catch the tax evaders reduces associated risk. Most often, it is more economical to evade taxes, being caught and paying a fine as a consequence, than paying the accumulated tax burden over the years. Thus, evasion numbers should be even higher than they are, hence for many people there seem to be moral objective countering this practice. The level of evasion depends on a number of factors, including
10246-509: The tax gap because there are few ways for the government to know about skimming or non-reporting of income without mounting significant investigations. Shell companies have historically been utilized as vehicles for tax evasion and other illicit financial activities due to their opaque ownership structures. These entities, often devoid of substantial operations or assets, allow individuals to conceal their true identities and assets, thereby evading taxes and facilitating money laundering. Recognizing
10355-514: The tax havens of Bahamas and British Virgin Islands through an Emirati company, partially owned by an investment conglomerate, Dubai Holding and Axiom Limited, major shares of which were owned by the ruler. As per the leaked records, the Dubai ruler owned a massive number of upmarket and luxurious real estate across Europe via the cited offshore entities registered in tax havens. Additionally,
10464-454: The tax on items purchased in another jurisdiction. This means that consumers who purchase something in a lower-taxed or untaxed jurisdiction with the intention of avoiding VAT or sales tax in their home jurisdiction are technically breaking the law in most cases. This is especially prevalent in federal countries like the United States and Canada where sub-national jurisdictions charge varying rates of VAT or sales tax. In liberal democracies,
10573-516: The taxation of select consumption, such as a tax on luxury goods and the exemption of basic necessities may be described as having progressive effects as it increases a tax burden on high end consumption and decreases a tax burden on low end consumption. Taxes are sometimes referred to as "direct taxes" or "indirect taxes". The meaning of these terms can vary in different contexts, which can sometimes lead to confusion. An economic definition, by Atkinson, states that "...direct taxes may be adjusted to
10682-513: The top 0.01% of the wealth distribution... Taking tax evasion into account increases the rise in inequality seen in tax data since the 1970s markedly, highlighting the need to move beyond tax data to capture income and wealth at the top, even in countries where tax compliance is generally high. We also find that after reducing tax evasion—by using tax amnesties—tax evaders do not legally avoid taxes more. This result suggests that fighting tax evasion can be an effective way to collect more tax revenue from
10791-405: The total payroll. These taxes may be imposed in both the country and sub-country levels. A wealth tax is levied on the total value of personal assets, including: bank deposits, real estate, assets in insurance and pension plans, ownership of unincorporated businesses , financial securities , and personal trusts. Liabilities (primarily mortgages and other loans) are typically deducted, hence it
10900-681: The total tax paid is the same, but it is paid at differing points in the process. VAT is usually administrated by requiring the company to complete a VAT return, giving details of VAT it has been charged (referred to as input tax) and VAT it has charged to others (referred to as output tax). The difference between output tax and input tax is payable to the Local Tax Authority. Many tax authorities have introduced automated VAT which has increased accountability and auditability , by utilizing computer systems, thereby also enabling anti-cybercrime offices as well. Sales taxes are levied when
11009-461: The ultra-wealthy." HMRC , the UK tax collection agency, estimated that in the tax year 2016–17, pure tax evasion (i.e. not including things like hidden economy or criminal activity) cost the government £5.3 billion. This compared to a wider tax gap (the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be collected by HMRC, against what is actually collected) of £33 billion in the same year, an amount that represented 5.7% of liabilities. At
11118-538: The use of force . Within market economies, taxation is considered the most viable option to operate the government (instead of widespread state ownership of the means of production ), as taxation enables the government to generate revenue without heavily interfering with the market and private businesses; taxation preserves the efficiency and productivity of the private sector by allowing individuals and companies to make their own economic decisions, engage in flexible production , competition , and innovation as
11227-492: The variables likely to affect non-compliance. Alternative specifications, however, yield conflicting results concerning both the signs and magnitudes of variables believed to affect tax evasion. Empirical work is required to resolve the theoretical ambiguities. Income tax evasion appears to be positively influenced by the tax rate , the unemployment rate , the level of income and dissatisfaction with government. The U.S. Tax Reform Act of 1986 appears to have reduced tax evasion in
11336-443: The view of economists, a tax is a non-penal, yet compulsory transfer of resources from the private to the public sector , levied on a basis of predetermined criteria and without reference to specific benefits received. In modern taxation systems, governments levy taxes in money; but in-kind and corvée taxation are characteristic of traditional or pre- capitalist states and their functional equivalents. The method of taxation and
11445-589: The vulnerabilities posed by such practices, the United States enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The CTA mandates that companies disclose their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) , aiming to dismantle the anonymity of shell corporations and increase transparency in corporate ownership. By requiring comprehensive reporting of beneficial ownership information (BOI),
11554-521: The workforce of a country which pays for government systems and projects through taxation. The taxpayers' money becomes part of the public funds , which comprise all money spent or invested by government to satisfy individual or collective needs or to generate future benefits. For tax purposes, business entities are also taxpayers, making their revenues and expenditures subject to taxation. The government levy income taxes on personal and business revenue and interest income. In addition to income taxes,
11663-516: The year 1643, as part of a scheme of revenue and taxation devised by parliamentarian John Pym and approved by the Long Parliament . These duties consisted of charges on beer, ale, cider, cherry wine, and tobacco, to which list were afterward added paper, soap, candles, malt, hops, and sweets. The basic principle of excise duties was that they were taxes on the production, manufacture, or distribution of articles which could not be taxed through
11772-443: Was a form of the poll tax. Poll taxes are administratively cheap because they are easy to compute and collect and difficult to cheat. Economists have considered poll taxes economically efficient because people are presumed to be in fixed supply and poll taxes, therefore, do not lead to economic distortions. However, poll taxes are very unpopular because poorer people pay a higher proportion of their income than richer people. In addition,
11881-580: Was released in the name of Pandora Papers by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), exposing the secret offshore accounts of around 35 world leaders in tax havens to evade taxes. One of the many leaders to be exposed was the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum . Sheikh Mohammed was identified as the shareholder of three firms that were registered in
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