Publisher's Synopsis
This casebook and text takes a comparative approach to the study of value added tax, the tax that has spread over the past 50 years quicker than any tax in history. With more attention devoted to consumption taxes in the academic literature and the proliferation of congressional proposals for a national broad-based tax on consumption (such as a flat tax, national sales tax or other VAT), this book provides the materials for a course or seminar on VAT, consumption taxes, or tax policy. It provides an opportunity to bring a comparative approach to the tax curriculum.;The book integrates the mature VAT in EU countries, the broader-based New Zealand Goods and Services tax, the Model VAT developed by the American Bar Association tax section VAT committee, and VATs in other countries. Included are hot topics in the US and abroad, such as the challenges to sales tax and VAT systems from e-commerce, and the international debate involving cross-border trade with diverse sub-national sales taxes or VATs, especially in countries with dual consumption taxes at the federal and state levels. One chapter is devoted to US proposals for a flat tax, national sales tax and other forms of federal consumption-based taxes. Familiarity with VAT concepts is important when clients engage in international trade with or operate in countries that rely heavily on VATs.
