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A Very Short Introduction Stephen Smith provides a concise and clear explanation of the importance of taxation in modern society. This book, part of the Very Short Introductions series, explains how taxes help provide public services and offers insights into the complex role of tax policy.
Contents
Taxation is essential to the functioning of the state. Taxes finance services such as roads, the justice system, defense, social welfare, healthcare, and education. In many industrialized countries, tax revenue makes up more than a third of national income. Taxes affect citizens directly by reducing their disposable income and by creating administrative obligations. People also adjust their behavior to avoid tax burdens, such as saving through tax-free schemes or making purchases in countries with lower taxes. The topic is central to political debates and policy-making, where the interests of citizens, businesses, and government must be weighed against each other.
Stephen Smith shows how tax policy affects the economy and society and argues for better understanding of how taxes work and what effects they have, despite the political discussion surrounding the topic.
Product Features
- Author: Stephen Smith (Professor of Economics, University College London)
- Series: Very Short Introductions
- Publisher: Oxford University Press
- Publication date: 2015-04-23
- Number of pages: 160
- ISBN: 9780199683697
- Theme: Public finance and taxation
- BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Public Finance
About the author
Stephen Smith is Professor of Economics at University College London and former Deputy Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He has written several publications on tax and environmental policy and advised, among others, the IMF, the OECD, and the UK’s Ministry of Finance.
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