Publication:
Tax Incentives : Using Tax Incentives to Attract Foreign Direct Investment

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files in English
English PDF (574.26 KB)
9,244 downloads
English Text (28.34 KB)
190 downloads
Date
2003-02
ISSN
Published
2003-02
Editor(s)
Abstract
The increasing mobility of international firms and the gradual elimination of barriers to global capital flows have stimulated competition among governments to attract foreign direct investment, often through tax incentives. This note reviews the debate about the effectiveness of tax incentives, examining two much-contested questions: can tax incentives attract foreign investment? And what are the costs of using them?
Link to Data Set
Citation
Morisset, Jacques. 2003. Tax Incentives : Using Tax Incentives to Attract Foreign Direct Investment. Viewpoint: Public Policy for the Private Sector; Note No. 253. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11325 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Report Series
Viewpoint
Other publications in this report series
  • Publication
    Competition and Poverty
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-04) Begazo, Tania; Nyman, Sara
    A literature review shows competition policy reforms can deliver benefits for the poorest households and improve income distribution. A lack of competition in food markets hurts the poorest households the most. Competition in input markets and between buyers helps farmers and small businesses. And more competitive markets bolster job growth over the longer term. More research is needed, however, to better understand the impact of competition reforms and antitrust enforcement on poverty and shared prosperity.
  • Publication
    Small Business Tax Regimes
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-02) Coolidge, Jacqueline; Yilmaz, Fatih
    Simplified tax regimes for micro and small enterprises in developing countries are intended to facilitate voluntary tax compliance. However, survey evidence suggests that small business taxation based on simplified bookkeeping or turnover is sometimes perceived as too complex for microenterprises in countries with high illiteracy levels. Very simple fixed tax regimes not requiring any books or records tend to be overly popular but prone to abuse. System reforms will require more precise tailoring of the simplified regimes to their target beneficiaries, coupled with strong compliance management to detect and deter abuse. The overall objective of simplified taxation for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in developing countries is generally to facilitate voluntary tax compliance and remove obstacles in moving toward business formalization and growth.
  • Publication
    Export Competitiveness
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-06) Goodwin, Tanja; Pierola, Martha Denisse
    This review of the empirical literature shows that industries with more intense domestic competition will export more. Competition law enforcement can be traced to export performance and is complementary to trade reforms. Pro-competition market regulation that reduces restrictions and promotes competition, where it is viable, is an important determinant for trade. The elimination of barriers to entry and rivalry, and a level playing field in upstream sectors contributes to export competitiveness in downstream manufacturing sectors. In some sectors, effective competition policy can directly lower trade costs.
  • Publication
    Investment Climate in Africa
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-07-01) Bridgman, David; Adamali, Aref
    The World Bank Group has been working on investment climate reform in Sub-Saharan Africa for nearly a decade, a period characterized by dramatic economic growth on the continent. Establishing links between such reform interventions and economic growth, however, is a complex problem. Although this note finds some connection between investment climate reform and economic growth, establishing more concrete evidence of causation will require greater focus at the country level, as well as on small and medium enterprises. This is where investment climate interventions generate change.
  • Publication
    Settling Out of Court : How Effective is Alternative Dispute Resolution?
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-10) Love, Inessa
    Alternative dispute resolution can help the justice system in a country function more efficiently. It often saves costs and time and increases user satisfaction. For cases that go back to court, however, the total cost and time may increase. Alternative dispute resolution can also have indirect benefits. It can increase the effectiveness of courts by reducing bottlenecks. And it can improve trust in the legal system, which may increase foreign investment.
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Incentives and Investments
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-12) James, Sebastian
    This paper analyzes how investment incentives may or may not be used to foster private investment, particularly in developing countries. As practitioners and policymakers can attest, political economy exerts a powerful influence on incentives. Many incentives especially generous ones have persisted because of lobbying by special interests and politicians' need to curry favor. Yet little research has been done on how political economy affects incentive policy. Second, the paper sheds light on the role that political economy plays in the popularity of incentives and the related shortcomings. Incentives are sometimes used to dole out favors to investors, so investors who benefit from incentives resist attempts to eliminate them. This paper suggests a way to tackle such problems. Third, the paper compiles good practices on managing and administering incentives in developing countries, drawing on government and private sector experiences. Finally, the paper provides policymakers with a framework for analyzing the efficacy of investment incentives based on the sector and level of development involved, and suggests reforms for moving toward best practice.
  • Publication
    Promoting Growth in the Caribbean : Tax Incentives in Theory and in Practice
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-06) Bes, Martin; Alvarez-Estrada, Daniel
    The recent international financial crisis dealt a hard blow to the region's growth prospects, being reflected in reduced demand for financial services and tourism as well as falling remittances. This was combined in some cases with home grown macroeconomic imbalances and the need to face the costs of financial sector bailouts in other countries. More recently, policymakers have indicated the need to explore the use of tax incentives in order to foster much needed private investment. This policy note analyzes the issues associated with the use of tax incentives and reviews the challenges faced by the region, which has had a not altogether successful experience in controlling tax expenditures. The policy note is organized as follows: the first section explores the diverse nature of the Caribbean and Latin American group of countries referred to in this note: the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. This is followed by a word of caution regarding the emphasis on factor accumulation in explaining growth, dampening beforehand any unrealistic expectations regarding growth promoting tax incentives. A brief analytical review of the main direct and indirect tax instruments is included in section three. Section four discusses features of good tax incentive systems. Section five reviews some country experience with provision of tax relief. Last section gives a brief set of recommendations.
  • Publication
    Providing Incentives for Investment : Advice for policymakers in developing countries
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2010-01) James, Sebastian
    Are tax incentives effective at attracting investment? Or are they a waste of resources? The answer depends on the policies used and the sectors where investment is sought. This note consolidates the policy implications of the latest research by the World Bank Group's investment climate advisory services on the efficacy of investment incentives. The research finds that such incentives are ineffective where investment climates are weak, and they cannot compensate for such deficiencies. Moreover, even where incentives are effective in attracting investment, they have significant costs. When incentives are clearly ineffective, political considerations often drive their continued use. This note identifies best practices for incentive policy and administration and provides a framework for analyzing the likely effectiveness of investment incentives under different conditions and in different types of countries.
  • Publication
    Restructuring Corporate Income Tax and Value Added Tax in Vietnam : An Analysis of Current Changes and Agenda for the Future
    (Washington, DC, 2014-01) World Bank
    The study is in two parts, part one covering the various policy aspects of Corporate Income Tax (CIT) and includes issues such as expenses and deductions to determine the tax base, transfer pricing, thin capitalization, taxation of special entities, and tax incentives. All this is done in the backdrop of international experience of corporate income taxes applied globally. Finally, alternatives for rate rationalization and their impact on CIT revenues using a forecasting model are examined. The existing provisions of the law are referenced in this part of the study as well, and further scope for reform discussed as necessary. Part two of the study presents a similar analysis of value added tax as well as forecasting of VAT revenues. This chapter examines the present rate structure including zero-rating, exemptions and exclusions from VAT, and VAT refunds. Taxation of some special sectors such as agriculture, real estate and exports is also analyzed. All this is again done in the milieu of international experience of value added taxes in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) countries and the countries of ASEAN so as to get a practical and realistic picture. Finally, a revenue forecasting model for VAT is presented with a guideline for estimating VAT threshold for exempting small traders. All the chapters make reference to the present provisions in law and also the way forward to further strengthen and streamline the VAT.
  • Publication
    Options for Low Income Countries’ Effective and Efficient Use of Tax Incentives for Investment
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-10-15) International Monetary Fund; OECD; United Nations; World Bank
    This background paper describes five different tools that can be used for the assessment of tax incentives by governments in low income countries’ (LICs). The first tool (an application of cost-benefit analysis) provides an overarching framework for assessment. Evaluations of the various costs and benefits of tax incentives are vital for informed decision making, but are rarely undertaken, partly because it can be a difficult exercise that is demanding in terms of data needs. The next three tools (tax expenditure assessment, corporate micro simulation models, and effective tax rate models) can be used as part of a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, to shed light on particular aspects. Effective tax rate models shed light on the implications of tax parameters - including targeted tax incentives - on investment returns and help understand the implications of reform for expected investment outcomes. The document presents two tools for assessing the transparency and governance of tax incentives in LICs. These discuss principles in transparency and governance of tax incentives, and allow for benchmarking existing LIC practices against better alternatives.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Supporting Youth at Risk
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2008) Cohan, Lorena M.; Cunningham, Wendy; Naudeau, Sophie; McGinnis, Linda
    The World Bank has produced this policy Toolkit in response to a growing demand from our government clients and partners for advice on how to create and implement effective policies for at-risk youth. The author has highlighted 22 policies (six core policies, nine promising policies, and seven general policies) that have been effective in addressing the following five key risk areas for young people around the world: (i) youth unemployment, underemployment, and lack of formal sector employment; (ii) early school leaving; (iii) risky sexual behavior leading to early childbearing and HIV/AIDS; (iv) crime and violence; and (v) substance abuse. The objective of this Toolkit is to serve as a practical guide for policy makers in middle-income countries as well as professionals working within the area of youth development on how to develop and implement an effective policy portfolio to foster healthy and positive youth development.
  • Publication
    Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Fall 2024: Better Education for Stronger Growth
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-17) Izvorski, Ivailo; Kasyanenko, Sergiy; Lokshin, Michael M.; Torre, Iván
    Economic growth in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) is likely to moderate from 3.5 percent in 2023 to 3.3 percent this year. This is significantly weaker than the 4.1 percent average growth in 2000-19. Growth this year is driven by expansionary fiscal policies and strong private consumption. External demand is less favorable because of weak economic expansion in major trading partners, like the European Union. Growth is likely to slow further in 2025, mostly because of the easing of expansion in the Russian Federation and Turkiye. This Europe and Central Asia Economic Update calls for a major overhaul of education systems across the region, particularly higher education, to unleash the talent needed to reinvigorate growth and boost convergence with high-income countries. Universities in the region suffer from poor management, outdated curricula, and inadequate funding and infrastructure. A mismatch between graduates' skills and the skills employers are seeking leads to wasted potential and contributes to the region's brain drain. Reversing the decline in the quality of education will require prioritizing improvements in teacher training, updated curricula, and investment in educational infrastructure. In higher education, reforms are needed to consolidate university systems, integrate them with research centers, and provide reskilling opportunities for adult workers.
  • Publication
    World Development Report 1984
    (New York: Oxford University Press, 1984) World Bank
    Long-term needs and sustained effort are underlying themes in this year's report. As with most of its predecessors, it is divided into two parts. The first looks at economic performance, past and prospective. The second part is this year devoted to population - the causes and consequences of rapid population growth, its link to development, why it has slowed down in some developing countries. The two parts mirror each other: economic policy and performance in the next decade will matter for population growth in the developing countries for several decades beyond. Population policy and change in the rest of this century will set the terms for the whole of development strategy in the next. In both cases, policy changes will not yield immediate benefits, but delay will reduce the room for maneuver that policy makers will have in years to come.
  • Publication
    Increasing Female Labor Force Participation
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-01) Halim, Daniel; O’Sullivan, Michael B.; Sahay, Abhilasha
    Gender gaps in labor force participation persist worldwide. Closing this gap can lead to sizeable gains for economies—a 20 percent increase in GDP per capita, on average. Female labor force participation (FLFP) remains low due to lack of skills, assets and networks, time-based constraints, limited mobility, gender discrimination in hiring and promotion, and restrictive gender norms. Effective evidence-backed policy options can increase FLFP. They include providing childcare services, disseminating information on work opportunities and returns to employment, training in socio-emotional skills, addressing norms by engaging partners and family members, and targeting women via social protection, safety net, and public-works programs. The World Bank Group actively supports countries in boosting FLFP through development policy lending, advisory and analytical work, and supporting reforms to address constraining contextual factors, including legal barriers, social norms, and gender-based violence. This note sheds light on an array of policy options that are effective or show promise in improving FLFP.
  • Publication
    Global Economic Prospects, June 2023
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-06-06) World Bank
    Global growth is projected to slow significantly in the second half of this year, with weakness continuing in 2024. Inflation pressures persist, and tight monetary policy is expected to weigh substantially on activity. The possibility of more widespread bank turmoil and tighter monetary policy could result in even weaker global growth. Rising borrowing costs in advanced economies could lead to financial dislocations in the more vulnerable emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). In low-income countries, in particular, fiscal positions are increasingly precarious. Comprehensive policy action is needed at the global and national levels to foster macroeconomic and financial stability. Among many EMDEs, and especially in low-income countries, bolstering fiscal sustainability will require generating higher revenues, making spending more efficient, and improving debt management practices. Continued international cooperation is also necessary to tackle climate change, support populations affected by crises and hunger, and provide debt relief where needed. In the longer term, reversing a projected decline in EMDE potential growth will require reforms to bolster physical and human capital and labor-supply growth.