Directions for the Reconstruction of the Tax System in Poland – a Growth‑Enhancing Proposal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6018.353.05Keywords:
tax system, taxes, pro‑growth proposal, impact of taxes on economic growthAbstract
The paper aims to present directions for the growth‑enhancing reconstruction of the tax system in Poland. It presents a diagnosis of the main strengths and weaknesses of that system. Based on this diagnosis and a review of the literature, the authors propose a package of recommendations whose introduction would be conducive to economic growth. The recommendations include: shifting the burden of taxation from income, in particular low labour income, to consumption; exempting low earners from a part of social security contributions; the introduction of the possibility for local governments to increase the PIT-free allowance above the centrally set base amount; the unification of the basis for the PIT, National Health Fund and Social Insurance Institution contributions; the elimination of differences in contributions for different types of contracts on the basis of which work is performed; the extension of one‑off amortisation to all machine investments; and the elimination of sectoral taxes.
Downloads
References
Afonso A., Allegre J. G. (2011), Economic Growth and Budgetary Components: A Panel Assessment for the EU, “Empirical Economics”, vol. 41(3), pp. 703–723. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-010-0400-9
Afonso A., Jalles J. T. (2014), Fiscal composition and long‑term growth, “Applied Economics”, vol. 46(3), pp. 349–358. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2013.848030
Afonso A., Schuknecht L., Tanzi V. (2003), Public sector efficiency: an international comparison, “ECB Working Paper”, no. 242. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.434002
Afonso A., Schuknecht L., Tanzi V. (2006), Public Sector Efficiency: Evidence for New EU Member States and Emerging Markets, “ECB Working Paper”, no. 581. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.876945
Aiginger K., Falk M. (2005), Explaining Differences in Economic Growth Among OECD Countries, “Empirica”, no. 32, pp. 19–43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10663-005-1977-7
Aizeman J., Glick R. (2003), Military Expenditure, Threats, And Growth, “FRBSF Working Paper”, 2003–2008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w9618
Arnold J. (2008), Do Tax Structures Affect Aggregate Economic Growth? Empirical Evidence From a Panel of OECD Countries, “OECD Economics Department Working Paper”, no. 643.
Aschauer D. A. (1989a), Is Public Expenditure Productive?, “Journal of Monetary Economics”, vol. 23(2), pp. 177–200. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3932(89)90047-0
Aschauer D. A. (1989b), Public Investment and Productivity Growth in the Group of Seven, “Economic Perspectives”, vol. 13(5), pp. 17–25.
Aschauer D. A. (1989c), Does Public Capital Crowd Out Private Capital?, “Journal of Monetary Economics”, vol. 24(2), pp. 171–188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3932(89)90002-0
Aschauer D. A. (2000a), Public Capital and Economic Growth: Issues of Quantity, Finance, and Efficiency, “Economic Development and Cultural Change”, vol. 48(2), pp. 391–406. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/452464
Aschauer D. A. (2000b), Do States Optimize? Public Capital And Economic Growth, “Annals of Regional Science”, vol. 34(3), pp. 343–363. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001689900016
Aslund A., Djankov S. (2014), The Great Rebirth: Lessons from the Victory of Capitalism Over Communism, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington.
Atkinson A. B. (1999), The Economic Consequences of Rolling Back the Welfare State, MIT Press, Cambridge.
Baffes J., Shah A. (1998), Productivity of Public Spending, Sectoral Allocation Choices, and Economic Growth, “Economic Development and Cultural Change”, vol. 46(2), pp. 291–303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/452339
Bakker B. B., Gulde A. M. (2010), The Credit Boom in the EU New Member States: Bad Luck or Bad Policies?, “IMF Working Paper”, no. 10/130. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781455201136.001
Balcerowicz L. (1995), Socialism, Capitalism, Transformation, Central European University Press, Budapest. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7829/j.ctv280b73c
Baldacci E., Clemens B., Gupta S., Cui Q. (2004), Social Spending, Human Capital, and Growth in Developing Countries: Implications for Achieving MDGs, “IMF Working Paper”, no. 04/217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451875140.001
Barro R. J., Sala‑i‑Martin X. (1991), Convergence Across States and Regions, “Brookings Papers on Economic Activity”, vol. 22(1), pp. 107–182. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2534639
Bergh A., Henrekson M. (2011), Government Size and Growth: A Survey and Interpretation of the Evidence, “Journal of Economic Surveys”, vol. 25(5), pp. 872–897. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6419.2011.00697.x
Bergh A., Henrekson M. (2016), Government Size And Growth: A Rejoinder, “Journal of Economic Surveys”, vol. 30(2), pp. 393–396. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12103
Besley T., Coate S. (2003), Centralized versus Decentralized Provision of Local Public Goods: A Political Economy Approach, “Journal of Public Economics”, vol. 87(12), pp. 2611–2637. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2727(02)00141-X
Bird R. M., Smart M. (2002), Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers: International Lessons for Developing Countries, “World Development”, vol. 30(6), pp. 899–912. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(02)00016-5
Bleaney M., Gemmell N., Kneller R. (2001), Testing the Endogenous Growth Model: Public Expenditure, Taxation, and Growth Over Long Run, “Canadian Journal of Economics”, vol. 34(1), pp. 26–57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/0008-4085.00061
Braguinsky S., Branstetter L., Regateiro A. (2011), The Incredible Shrinking Portuguese Firm, “NBER Working Paper”, no. 17265. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w17265
Bukowski M., Morawski I., Trzeciakowski R. (2016), Zrozumiały i prosty VAT. Korzyści z ujednoliconych stawek, WiseEuropa, Warszawa.
CASE (2016), Study and Reports on the VAT Gap in the EU–28 Member States: 2016 Final Report, Center for Social and Economic Research, Warsaw.
Castany L., López‑Bazo E., Moreno R. (2005), Differences in total factor productivity across firm size. A distributional analysis, Paper presented at ERSA 2005 – 45th Congress of the European Regional Science Association, Amsterdam, 23–27 August.
Ciżkowicz, P., Rzońca, A. (2011), Mechanizmy oddziaływania deficytu fiskalnego na wzrost gospodarki, “Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics”, vol. 251(10), pp. 1–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33119/GN/101064
Clemente J., Marcuello C., Montañés A. (2012), Government Social Spending and GDP: Has There Been a Change in Social Policy?, “Applied Economics”, vol. 44(22), pp. 2895–2905. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2011.568401
Corlett W. J., Hague D. C. (1953), Complementarity and The Excess Burden of Taxation, “Review of Economic Studies”, vol. 21(1), pp. 21–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2296257
Dahlby B. (2003), Restructuring The Canadian Tax System By Changing The Mix Of Direct And Indirect Taxes, [in:] H. G. Grubel (ed.), Tax Reform in Canada: Our Path to Greater Prosperity, Fraser Institute, Vancouver, pp. 77–108.
De Long B., Summers L. (1991), Equipment Investment and Economic Growth, “Journal of Economics”, vol. 106(2), pp. 445–502. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2937944
Disney R. (2000), The impact of Tax and Welfare Policies on Employment and Unemployment in OECD Countries, “IMF Working Paper”, no. 00/164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451857986.001
Easterly W., Rebelo S. (1993), Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth: an Empirical Investigation, “NBER Working Paper”, no. 4499. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w4499
European Commission (2006), Macroeconomic Effects of a Shift From Direct To Indirect Taxation: A Simulation for 15 EU Member States, Note presented by the European Commission services (DG TAXUD) at the 72nd meeting of the OECD Working Party No. 2 on Tax Policy Analysis and Tax Statistics, Paris, 14–16 November.
European Commission (2015a), The 2015 Ageing Report: Economic And Budgetary Projections for The EU–27 Member States 2013–2060, Brussels.
European Commission (2015b), VAT rates, https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/business/vat/eu-vat-rules-topic/vat-rates_en [accessed: 3.05.2021].
European Commission (2021), Taxation and customs union. Data on taxation, https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/business/economic-analysis-taxation/data-taxation_en [accessed: 3.05.2021].
Eurostat (2021a), General Government Expenditure By Function, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Government_expenditure_by_function_%E2%80%93_COFOG [accessed: 3.05.2021].
Eurostat (2021b), Government revenue, expenditure and main aggregates, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/gov_10a_main/default/table?lang=en [accessed: 3.05.2021].
Feldstein M. (1973), On The Optimal Progressivity of the Income Tax, “Journal of Public Economics”, vol. 2(4), pp. 357–376. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(73)90026-1
Forum Obywatelskiego Rozwoju (2015), Następne 25 lat: Jakie reformy musimy przeprowadzić, by dogonić Zachód?, Warszawa.
Friesenbichler K., Fritz O., Hölzl W., Misch F., Streicher G., Yeter M. (2014), The Efficiency Of EU Public Administration in Helping Firms Grow, European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry, Brussels. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2939518
Frye T. (2001), Keeping Shop. The Value of the Rule of Law in Warsaw and in Moscow, [in:] P. Murell (ed.), Assessing the Value of the Law in Transition Economies, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, pp. 229–248.
Gale W. G., Orszag P. R. (2003), The economic effects of long-term fiscal discipline, “Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Centre Discussion Paper”, no. 8.
Gemmell N., Kneller R., Sanz I. (2011), The Timing and Persistence of Fiscal Policy Impacts on Growth: Evidence from OECD Countries, “Economic Journal”, vol. 121(1), pp. F33–F58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2010.02414.x
Gemmell N., Kneller R., Sanz I. (2014), The Growth Effects of Tax Rates In The OECD, “Canadian Journal of Economics”, vol. 47(4), pp. 1217–1255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/caje.12105
Government Accountability Office (2011), Value‑Added Taxes. Potential Lessons For The United States From Other Countries’ Experiences, United States Government Accountability Office Report, GAO–11–867T.
Grant Thornton (2017a), Podatki w Polsce, Warszawa.
Grant Thornton (2017b), Produkcja prawa w Polsce największa w historii, Warszawa.
Grant Thornton (2017c), Fiskus nadal nie ma wątpliwości, Warszawa.
Griffith R., Redding S. J., Van Reenen J. M. (2005), Mapping the Two Faces of R&D: Productivity Growth in a Panel of OECD Industries, “Review of Economics and Statistics”, vol. 86(4), pp. 883–895. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/0034653043125194
Gyimah‑Brempong K., Wilson M. (2004), Health, Human Capital And Economic Growth in Sub‑Saharan African and OECD Countries, “Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance”, no. 44, pp. 296–320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qref.2003.07.002
Hansson P., Henrekson M. (1994), A New Framework for Testing the Effect of Government Spending on Growth and Productivity, “Public Choice”, vol. 81(3–4), pp. 381–401. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01053239
Hulten Ch.R. (1996), Infrastructure Effectiveness as a Determinant of Economic Growth: How Well You Use it May Be More Important than How Much You Have, “NBER Working Paper”, no. 5847 (Revised 2005). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w5847
International Monetary Fund (2004), IMF Article IV Review of Austria, Selected Issues: The Impact of Government Size and the Composition of Revenue and Expenditure on Growth, Washington. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451802344.002
Janeba E. (2000), Trade, Income Inequality, and Government Policies: Redistribution of Income or Education Subsidies?, “NBER Working Paper”, no. 7485. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w7485
Jaumotte F., Pain N. (2005) An Overview of Public Policies To Support Innovation, “OECD Economics Department Working Papers”, no. 456.
Kaldor N. (1956), Alternative Theories of Distribution, “Review of Economic Studies”, no. 23, pp. 83–100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2296292
Keefer P., Knack S. (1995), Institutions, And Economic Performance: Cross‑Country Tests Using Alternative Institutional Measures, “Economics and Politics”, vol. 7(3), pp. 207–227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0343.1995.tb00111.x
King R. G., Rebelo S. (1990), Public Policy and Economic Growth: Developing Neoclassical Implications, “Journal of Political Economy”, vol. 98(5), pp. 126–150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/261727
Kneller R., Stevens P. A. (2006), Frontier Technology and Absorptive Capacity: Evidence from OECD Manufacturing Industries, “Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics”, vol. 68(1), pp. 1–21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0084.2006.00150.x
Koester R. B., Kormendi R. C. (1989), Taxation, Aggregate Activity and Economic Growth: Cross‑Country Evidence on Some Supply‑Side Hypotheses, “Economic Inquiry”, vol. 27(3), pp. 367–386. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-7295.1989.tb02011.x
Kotsogiannis Ch., Schwager R. (2008), Accountability and Fiscal Equalization, “Journal of Public Economics”, vol. 92(12), pp. 2336–2349. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2007.12.013
Landau D. (1996), Is One of The ‘Peace Dividends’ Negative? Military Expenditure and Economic Growth in The Wealthy OECD Countries, “Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance”, vol. 36(2), pp. 183–196. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1062-9769(96)90038-1
Layard R., Nickell S., Jackman R. (1996), Combating Unemployment: Is Flexibility enough?, ‘Centre For Economic Performance Discussion Paper”, no. 293, London School of Economics and Political Science, London.
Leibfritz W., Thornton J., Bibbee A. (1997), Taxation and Economic Performance, OECD, Paris.
Leung D., Meh C., Terajima Y. (2008), Firm size and productivity, “Bank of Canada Working Paper”, no. 2008–45.
Maddison‑Project, http://www.ggdc.net/maddison/maddison-project/home.htm [accessed: 3.05.2021].
Mares I. (2007), The Economic Consequences of the Welfare State, “International Social Security Review”, vol. 60(2–3), pp. 65–81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-246X.2007.00269.x
Martinez‑Vazquez J., Vulovic V., Liu Y. (2009), Direct versus Indirect Taxation: Trends, Theory and Economic Significance, “International Studies Program Working Paper”, no. 09–11.
Melitz M. J., Ottaviano G. I.P. (2008), Market Size, Trade, and Productivity, “Review of Economic Studies”, vol. 75(1), pp. 295–316. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-937X.2007.00463.x
Miller N. J., Tsoukis Ch. (2001), On the Optimality of Public Capital for Long‑Run Economic Growth: Evidence from Panel Data, “Applied Economics”, vol. 33(9), pp. 1117–1129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036840010003258
Nelson R. R., Phelps E. S. (1966), Investment in Humans, Technological Diffusion, and Economic Growth, “American Economic Review”, vol. 56(1/2), pp. 69–75.
North D. C. (1993), The New Institutional Economics and Development, “Economic History 9309002”, University Library of Munich, Munich.
OECD (2010), Tax Policy Reform and Economic Growth, “OECD Tax Policy Studies”, no. 20.
OECD (2015), Tax Database. Tax Collection Costs, https://data.oecd.org/inequality/poverty-rate.htm [accessed: 3.05.2021].
OECD (2017), OECD Economic Survey of Italy, Paris.
Pagano P., Schivardi F. (2003), Firm Size Distribution and Growth, “Scandinavian Journal of Economics”, vol. 105(2), pp. 255–274. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9442.t01-1-00008
Pestel N., Sommer E. (2017), Shifting Taxes from Labor to Consumption: More Employment and More Inequality, “Review of Income and Wealth”, vol. 63(3), pp. 542–563. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/roiw.12232
PwC UK, World Bank Group, (2016), Paying Taxes 2017, London.
Ramirez A., Ranis G., Stewart F. (2000), Economic Growth and Human Development, “World Development”, vol. 28(2), pp. 197–219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(99)00131-X
Rodden J. A. (2005), Hamilton’s Paradox: The Promise and Peril of Fiscal Federalism (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511616075
Romer D. (2000), Makroekonomia dla zaawansowanych, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.
Rzońca A. (2005), Finanse publiczne a wzrost gospodarki w długim okresie. Analiza przy wykorzystaniu zmodyfikowanego modelu nabywania wiedzy przez praktykę, “Materiały i Studia”, no. 198, pp. 1–39.
Sala‑i‑Martin X. (1997), I Just Ran Two Million Regressions, “American Economic Association Papers and Proceedings”, vol. 87(2), pp. 178–183. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w6252
Showalter M. H., Thurston N. K. (1997), Taxes And Labour Supply of High Income Physicians, “Journal of Public Economics”, vol. 66(1), pp. 73–97. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2727(97)00021-2
Skrok E. (2013), Podatki a wzrost gospodarczy: wnioski dla Polski wynikające z teorii i doświadczeń międzynarodowych, Warszawa (mimeo).
Slemrod J., Yitzhaki S. (2002), Tax Avoidance, Evasion, and Administration, [in:] A. J. Auerbach, M. Feldstein (eds.), Handbook of Public Economics, vol. 3, Elsevier, Amsterdam–London–New York, pp. 1425–1470.
Smith A. (1954), Badania nad naturą i przyczynami bogactwa narodów, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa.
Smith D. B. (2006), Living with Leviathan: Public Spending, “Taxes and Economic Performance. IEA Hobart Paper”, no. 158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.946392
Smith D. B. (2016), Spending, Tax and Economic Welfare, [in:] P. Booth (ed.), Taxation, government spending and economic growth, Institute of Economic Affairs, London, pp. 87–99.
Spengel Ch., Elschner Ch., Endres D. (2012), Effective Tax Levels Using the Devereux/Griffith Methodology, Project for the EU Commission, TAXUD/2008/CC/099.
Stiglitz J. E. (2004), Ekonomia sektora publicznego, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.
Tanzi V. (2008), Regulating for the New Economic Order: “The Good, The Bad, and The Damaging, Politeia, London.
Tanzi V., Schuknecht L. (2000), Public Spending in the 20th Century. A Global Perspective, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511625800
Thomas A., Picos‑Sánchez F. (2012), Shifting from Social Security Contributions to Consumption Taxes: The Impact on Low‑Income Earner Work Incentives, “OECD Taxation Working Paper”, no. 11.
Van Biesebroeck J. (2005), Firm Size Matters: Growth and Productivity Growth in African Manufacturing, “Economic Development and Cultural Change”, vol. 53(3), pp. 545–583. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/426407
Widmalm F. (2001), Tax Structure And Growth: Are Some Taxes Better Than Others?, “Public Choice”, vol. 107(3), pp. 199–219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010340017288
World Economic Forum (2016), The Global Competitiveness Report 2016–2017, Geneva.





