Replacing Pis and Cofins - and Why Not the Cpmf? - by a Non-Cumulative Contribution
Cascading taxes are responsible in Brazil for almost 25% of total revenue raised by the three levels of government. This is harmful to the country's economic performance and to her international trade balance. In this paper, the sectoral burdens of Brazilian cascading social contributions, as well as their impacts on exports and imports, are estimated, and their harmful effects on the economy are discussed. Substitution of a value added contribution for the cascading ones is proposed. It is suggested that, in view of urgency and notwithstanding some sacrifice of its quality, the new tax be created simply by means of an ordinary law, without amending the Constitution. Most desirable features of the tax that can be created without changing the terms of the Brazilian Constitution are discussed. The uniform rate necessary to keep tax revenue constant and changes in sectoral tax payments that would arise are estimated.
Bank Debit Taxes in Latin America: An Analysis of Recent Trends
Six Latin American countries have levied taxes on withdrawals from bank accounts, which have been viewed as a convenient tax handle during a difficult fiscal period. The paper reviews the arguments for and against this type of taxation, describes the taxes, and surveys their revenue performance and economic impact. It concludes that the recently implemented taxes have been successful in raising revenue in the short term, but that adverse allocational impacts have likely been significant. The tax may work better in times of fiscal crisis, when financial intermediation is deep, and when the tax rate is modest.
Abertura comercial e indústria: o que se pode esperar e o que se vem obtendo
RESUMO O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar o impacto da liberalização do comércio na indústria de transformação brasileira no período 1989-96. Para tanto, foi construída uma série de indicadores que evidenciam a eficiência técnica e os efeitos alocacionais da liberalização. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que os impactos foram, em geral, positivos e consistentes tanto com as previsões da literatura do comércio internacional quanto com o padrão de industrialização do Brasil. No entanto, também apontam para uma série de desafios a serem enfrentados pelo Estado, em particular, no que diz respeito às imperfeições que afetam o comércio internacional de manufaturas e que ameaçam os ganhos com o comércio.