Tax Policy Explained: GST, Tax Morale & Wealth Taxes | Prof Rita de la Feria

What makes a good tax system — and what actually encourages people and businesses to comply?

Professor Rita de la Feria joins Tax Academy of Singapore for a wide-ranging conversation on tax policy, drawing on her research and experience to explore GST and VAT design, tax morale, compliance, enforcement, wealth taxation and the relationship between taxpayers and the tax system.

In this conversation, Professor de la Feria discusses:

• Why VAT and GST remain important tools for tax administrations
• How technology could make consumption taxes more progressive
• What Singapore and New Zealand have got right in their GST/VAT systems
• How fairness, simplicity and trust influence tax compliance
• Why understanding small-business tax behaviour matters
• The balance between enforcement, transparency and public shaming
• Whether wealth and inheritance taxes can effectively address inequality
• Why a functioning tax system ultimately depends on the behaviour of individuals as well as governments and businesses

Professor de la Feria also reflects on what she describes as an uncomfortable truth about taxation: building a functioning tax system begins not only with what others do, but with our own willingness to contribute.

Chapters
00:00 Highlights
00:24 Introduction
00:52 How research influences tax policy
01:51 Can VAT and GST be progressive?
04:19 What Singapore and New Zealand get right about GST
05:17 Tax morale: Why do people choose to comply?
08:30 Tax enforcement, publicity and public shaming
10:13 Can wealth taxes reduce inequality?
13:40 Why inheritance taxes are so unpopular
16:34 An uncomfortable truth about tax
18:44 Closing remarks

For more info, see: https://www.taxacademy.sg/resources/p...

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