Towards More Efficient Government Reforming Federal Fiscal Relations in Germany

In Germany fiscal relations between the various levels of government have come to the fore of the policy debate. In practice the federal fiscal set-up has evolved towards consensus and co-operation, where equalisation of living standards takes precedence over public choice and economic incentives. S...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wurzel, Eckhard (-)
Format: eBook Section
Language:Inglés
Published: Paris : OECD Publishing 1999.
Series:OECD Economics Department Working Papers, no.209.
Subjects:
See on Biblioteca Universitat Ramon Llull:https://discovery.url.edu/permalink/34CSUC_URL/1im36ta/alma991009706084106719
Description
Summary:In Germany fiscal relations between the various levels of government have come to the fore of the policy debate. In practice the federal fiscal set-up has evolved towards consensus and co-operation, where equalisation of living standards takes precedence over public choice and economic incentives. Shared taxes and the low reliance on own taxes make for a relatively inefficient control over public spending. At the same time, the system may be criticised for not achieving economic convergence among the states. The difference in regional living standards is smaller than in some other economies, but the revenue equalisation system offers no incentives to expand the tax base and may even promote tax avoidance. Greater dynamism could be achieved with a less confiscatory equalisation system and a higher degree of tax autonomy and both of these should form part of any balanced tax and expenditure reform ...
Physical Description:1 online resource (27 p. )