28/11/2018 - Tax systems across the OECD countries are converging towards higher tax levels and greater reliance on value-added taxes, social security contributions and corporate taxes. Nevertheless, the tax mix continues to vary widely across the advanced economies.

 

Assessing tax levels and the tax mix in OECD countries:

Revenue Statistics 2018 & Consumption Tax Trends 2018 to launch on

Wednesday 5 December 2018

 

How do tax levels compare across countries? What factors are driving the variation in tax burdens seen worldwide? Which taxes comprise the largest and smallest sources of revenue, on a country-by-country basis?

Two new OECD reports to be published on Wednesday 5 December provide internationally comparable statistics and analysis designed to inform the tax policy debate:

Revenue Statistics 2018 provides data on government tax revenues from 1965 to 2017, including the tax to GDP ratio, revenues collected by central, state and regional governments, and the relative importance of personal and corporate income tax, social security contributions and taxes on goods and services in the tax mix. It includes a special feature that examines the convergence of OECD tax levels and structures since 1995.

Consumption Tax Trends 2018 provides a biennial look at Value Added Tax/Goods and Services Tax (VAT/GST) and excise duties in OECD member countries. It provides cross-country comparative data about the tax base, rates and implementation rules and looks at the application of VAT/GST to international trade. 

Both publications will be freely accessible to accredited journalists on the OECD’s password-protected web site from 11:00 a.m. CET.

For further information, or to request interviews, contact Lawrence Speer in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 9700).

Requests for electronic advance copies of the publications, under embargo, should be sent by e-mail to embargo@oecd.org. Journalists requesting an electronic version in advance of the release time agree to respect OECD embargo conditions.

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.