TAX REFORMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FISCAL SPACE

Abstract

A reduction of the tax burden on corporate income in order to stimulate drivers of economic development has become the important issue of tax reform in many countries in recent decades. Tax competition forces national governments to take well-balanced solution on increasing outward and domestic investments as well as ensuring the fiscal capacity of the budget to cope with urgent socio-economic problems under enhancing fiscal risks. The purpose of the article is to assess the impact of tax reforms, addressing reducing the corporate income tax burden, on the fiscal space and investment processes in the EU countries and Ukraine, to establish directions of improvement of the tax system in Ukraine and other transition economies in order to spur the expansion of fiscal space. The research subject covers tax policy settings that shape fiscal space development. Research methodology. In accordance with the purpose of the article, the research methods are set as follows: abstract-logical; systemic analysis; analysis and synthesis; graphical method. Findings. By summing up theoretical ideas on the issue of feasibility of cutting corporate income tax, we have arrived at the conclusion that this measure has a significant impact on the improvement of tax competitiveness of the national economy. The gain from its application is confirmed by the best practices of many European countries. The results of the tax reform in Ukraine have proved that a traditional approach to the choice of tax issues – in contrast with developed economies – do not comply with theoretical provisions on increasing the competitiveness of the national economy and fostering investments. This is conditional on the specific tax effects in Ukraine due to the restriction of the key economic freedoms (investment, financial, property rights protection and judicial effectiveness) needed for successful entrepreneurship, as well as of a high rate of corruption, which increases the costs of business activity. Such effects include, in particular, a drop of tax revenues in the short and long term while reducing the level of corporate income taxation; a high level of tax evasion, capital outflow instead of expanding investment in the national economy. It is argued that the emphasis while carrying out tax reforms and expanding fiscal space in transition economies considering the specific effects of changing corporate income tax provisions, should be made on ensuring the long-term sustainability of public finances through measures of budget adjustments aimed at avoidance shifting the existing fiscal problems on future generations; harmonization of national tax legislation with the EU regulations and prevention of tax evasion; increasing the financial capacity of enterprises by introducing targeted innovation tax incentives, which will gain higher competitiveness of the country in the world markets and as a result facilitate the growth of the country’s future revenue receipts.

Keywords

• tax reform
• tax burden
• investment rate
• fiscal space
• corruption
• shadow economy
• targeted innovation tax incentives