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Effectiveness and Economic Impact of Tax Incentives in the SADC ...

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5-14 EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACT OF TAX INCENTIVES IN THE <strong>SADC</strong> REGION<br />

Table 5-1<br />

Evaluation <strong>of</strong> Major <strong>Tax</strong> Incentive Instruments<br />

Instrument <strong>Effectiveness</strong><br />

Lower statutory<br />

tax rate<br />

Preferential tax<br />

rates<br />

Moderate reduction<br />

<strong>in</strong> METR; high<br />

redundancy rate<br />

likely.<br />

Moderate reduction<br />

<strong>in</strong> METR depend<strong>in</strong>g<br />

on <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

reduction; high<br />

redundancy rate<br />

likely.<br />

<strong>Tax</strong> holiday Moderate reduction<br />

<strong>in</strong> METR; depends<br />

on type <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>and</strong><br />

screen<strong>in</strong>g criteria.<br />

Capital recovery<br />

<strong>in</strong>centives—<br />

accelerated<br />

depreciation <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>itial allowances<br />

Investment tax<br />

credit<br />

Integration <strong>of</strong><br />

company tax <strong>and</strong><br />

dividend tax<br />

Extra deductions,<br />

as for tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g,<br />

R&D, export<br />

market<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Low to high;<br />

depends on<br />

provisions; full<br />

expens<strong>in</strong>g can<br />

reduce <strong>the</strong> METR to<br />

zero; if <strong>in</strong>itial<br />

allowance does not<br />

reduce basis for<br />

depreciation, <strong>the</strong>n<br />

capital purchase is<br />

subsidized.<br />

Similar to <strong>in</strong>itial<br />

allowance.<br />

High. End<strong>in</strong>g double<br />

tax on dividend<br />

<strong>in</strong>come has a large<br />

effect on <strong>the</strong> METR.<br />

Low to moderate;<br />

depends on size <strong>of</strong><br />

deduction <strong>and</strong> tax<br />

rate.<br />

<strong>Impact</strong> on<br />

Revenue<br />

High. Must be<br />

packaged with<br />

revenue<br />

enhancement<br />

measures.<br />

High, depend<strong>in</strong>g<br />

on how widely <strong>the</strong><br />

preferential tax<br />

rates apply.<br />

Moderate to high;<br />

depends on type <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>and</strong><br />

screen<strong>in</strong>g process.<br />

Low to moderate;<br />

depends on<br />

provisions.<br />

Similar to <strong>in</strong>itial<br />

allowance.<br />

Moderate; depends<br />

on importance <strong>of</strong><br />

dividend tax as<br />

revenue source.<br />

Low to moderate;<br />

depends on size <strong>of</strong><br />

deduction, <strong>the</strong> tax<br />

rate, <strong>and</strong> breadth<br />

<strong>of</strong> applicability.<br />

<strong>Economic</strong><br />

Distortions<br />

Very low. Neutral<br />

with respect to<br />

sector, product,<br />

capital-<strong>in</strong>tensity.<br />

Moderate. Biases<br />

resources allocation,<br />

but not factor<br />

<strong>in</strong>tensity or o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

bus<strong>in</strong>ess decisions.<br />

High. Favors<br />

projects that are<br />

short-lived, fast<br />

start<strong>in</strong>g, easy to shut<br />

down. Also projects<br />

with low capital<br />

<strong>in</strong>tensity <strong>and</strong> low<br />

debt costs.<br />

Moderate. Favors<br />

capital-<strong>in</strong>tensive<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestments <strong>and</strong><br />

activities <strong>and</strong><br />

projects with shortlived<br />

capital assets.<br />

Case <strong>of</strong> full<br />

expens<strong>in</strong>g may<br />

elim<strong>in</strong>ate tax wedge<br />

for equity-f<strong>in</strong>anced<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestments.<br />

Similar to <strong>in</strong>itial<br />

allowance, but<br />

avoids differential<br />

impact where <strong>the</strong>re<br />

are multiple<br />

company tax rates.<br />

Low. Enhances<br />

efficiency by end<strong>in</strong>g<br />

bias <strong>in</strong> favor <strong>of</strong> debt<br />

f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Low. Bias created<br />

but <strong>in</strong> direction <strong>of</strong><br />

explicit policy<br />

objective.<br />

Adm<strong>in</strong>istrative<br />

<strong>Impact</strong><br />

Very low. Simple,<br />

transparent <strong>and</strong><br />

automatic. Reduces<br />

<strong>in</strong>centive for abusive<br />

tax plann<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Moderate to high.<br />

Requires determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

which <strong>in</strong>comes<br />

qualify; wide open for<br />

abusive tax plann<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Moderate to high.<br />

Screen<strong>in</strong>g procedures<br />

a burden; fil<strong>in</strong>g may<br />

or may not be<br />

required dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

holiday; problems at<br />

transition to taxable<br />

status; scope for tax<br />

plann<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Mixed. Simple to<br />

adm<strong>in</strong>ister, but<br />

significant scope for<br />

abuse through sham<br />

capital transactions.<br />

Similar to <strong>in</strong>itial<br />

allowance.<br />

Moderate; depends<br />

on method used.<br />

Moderate.<br />

Complications <strong>in</strong><br />

validat<strong>in</strong>g legitimacy<br />

<strong>of</strong> deductions; scope<br />

for abuse through<br />

false claims.

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