WASHINGTON, USA – Rethinking taxation for growth in Latin America and the Caribbean: objectives, behavioral responses, and technological advances” argues for a shift beyond the traditional focus on collection efficiency and equity to explicitly include economic growth as a primary objective. It highlights how taxpayers’ behavioral responses and technological advancements reshape the effectiveness and trade-offs of core taxes.
The report introduces targeted cash transfers (TCTs) as a powerful new instrument for achieving equity, potentially allowing for more neutral and efficient revenue collection through other taxes like value-added tax (VAT). It challenges the conventional view of VAT as inherently regressive in the region’s informal economies, suggesting that consumption-based analysis reveals a less clear-cut picture.
The report cautions against excessively high standard VAT rates, which can hinder growth, and suggests reevaluating reduced VAT rates in favour of broader base consumption taxes coupled with TCTs. The report argues that the high corporate income tax (CIT) rates in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, coupled with a challenging business environment, incentivise evasion and discourage investment. It advocates for reducing CIT rates to align with other emerging markets, improving enforcement, and exploring public-private partnerships for tax collection.
Regarding the personal income tax (PIT), the report notes a narrow base despite high top marginal rates, which may penalise entrepreneurship. It suggests moderately broadening the tax base rather than further increasing top rates. It also proposes focusing on property taxes as a more viable form of wealth taxation, given the prevalence of tangible assets and the increasing feasibility of accurate valuation through technology, contrasting this with the difficulties of taxing highly mobile financial assets.
With recommendations for strategic adjustments to VAT and CIT rates, a moderate expansion of the PIT base, and more effective property tax policy, this report provides policymakers, business leaders, and researchers with a practical framework for building more effective, equitable, and growth-oriented tax systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. The analysis is grounded in context-specific insights, encouraging a nuanced approach that considers both behavioural responses and technological progress.