Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T03:48:57.976Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Tax Research and Tax Reform in Latin America — A Survey and Commentary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2022

Richard M. Bird
Affiliation:
Harvard University
Oliver Oldman
Affiliation:
Harvard University
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In 1961 twenty latin american countries signed a document which committed them “to reform tax laws, demanding more from those who have most, to punish tax evasion severely, and to redistribute the national income in order to benefit those who are most in need while, at the same time, promoting savings and investment and reinvestment of capital.” Both before and since this declaration a great deal of research on taxation has been carried out in Latin America, and even more has been said about the “need” for tax “reform.”

Type
Topical Review
Copyright
Copyright © 1968 by the University of Texas Press

Footnotes

Funds provided to the Harvard University Development Advisory Service, through United States Agency for International Development Research Contract #AID/CSD1543, financed a portion of Dr. Bird's time for this article. Similarly, the research funds of the Harvary Law School International Tax Program financed research assistance and a portion of the time of both authors. The views expressed in this paper do not necessarily express those of AID.

References

Selected Bibliography

Adler, John H., Schlesinger, E. R., and Olson, E. C. 1952 Public Finance and Economic Development in Guatemala. Stanford. Published in Spanish as: Las finanzas públicas y el desarrollo económico de Guatemala. Mexico City.Google Scholar
Andic, Fuat and Peacock, Alan T. 1967 Fiscal Surveys and Economic Development. Kyklos. 19:620641.Google Scholar
Bird, Richard M. 1966a Local Property Taxes in Colombia. In: Proceedings of the 58th Annual Conference of the National Tax Association, 1965. Harrisburg. 481501.Google Scholar
Bird, Richard M. 1966b Sales Taxation in Colombia: Tax Policy and Development Planning. Report no. 36, Economic Development Series, Development Advisory Service, Center of International Affairs, Harvard University. Cambridge. (multilith). To be published in: Development Policy—Theory and Practice. Gustav F. Papanek ed. Cambridge. (forthcoming).Google Scholar
Bird, Richard M. 1967 Stamp Tax Reform in Colombia. Bulletin for International Fiscal Documentation (BIFD). 21:247255.Google Scholar
Bird, Richard M. 1968 Bibliography on Taxation in Developing Countries (with the assistance of Juan M. Terán). Cambridge.Google Scholar
Bird, Richard M. and Oldman, Oliver, eds. 1964 Readings on Taxation in Developing Countries, Baltimore.Google Scholar
Oldman, Oliver and Oldman, Oliver 1967 Readings on Taxation in Developing Countries. Revised edition. Baltimore.Google Scholar
Bryce, Murray D. 1965 Policies and Methods for Industrial Development. New York.Google Scholar
Consejo Nacional de Política Económica y Planeación, Departamento Administrativo de Planeacion y Servicios Técnicos 1962 Colombia: Plan General de Desarrollo Económico y Social. Primera Parte—El Programa General. Cali.Google Scholar
Crockett, Joseph P. 1962 Tax Pattern in Latin America. National Tax Journal (NTJ). 20:93104. Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1964.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Currie, Lauchlin 1966 Accelerating Development: The Necessity and the Means. New York.Google Scholar
Due, John F. 1966 The Retail Sales Tax in Honduras. Inter-American Economic Affairs (IAEF). 20: 3:5569. Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Dunkerley, Harold B. 1966 Exchange Rate Systems and Development in Conditions of Continuing Inflation. Report no. 37, Economic Development Series, Development Advisory Service, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Cambridge. (multilith). To be published in: Papanek, forthcoming.Google Scholar
Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA), United Nations 1956 Economic Survey of Latin America 1955. New York.Google Scholar
Dunkerley, Harold B. 1967 Estudio sobre la distribución del ingreso en América Latina. E/CN.12/770 (29 marzo, mimeographed) and E/CN.12/770/Add.1 (21 abril, mimeographed). New York.Google Scholar
Fisher, Frederick R. 1962 Tax Reform in Latin America. Washington, D.C. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Froomkin, Joseph N. 1957 Some Problems of Tax Policy in Latin America. NTJ. 10: December: 370379.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillim, Marion Hamilton 1967a The Fiscal Aspects of the Central American Common Market. In: Fiscal Harmonization in Common Markets. Carl S. Shoup, ed. New York. 1967b Some Fiscal Aspects of the Latin American Free Trade Association. In: Shoup, 1967.Google Scholar
Goode, Richard 1952 Reconstruction of Foreign Tax Systems. In: Proceedings of the 44th Annual Conference of the National Tax Association, 1951. Sacramento. 212–222. Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1964 and 1967.Google Scholar
Haberstroh, Chadwick J. 1965 Trends in Management Technique. In Joint Tax Program, 1965b. 224240.Google Scholar
Harberger, Arnold 1965 Issues of Tax Reform for Latin America. In: Joint Tax Program, 1965a. 110121.Google Scholar
Hart, Albert G. 1966 Fiscal Policy in Latin America. Conference on Key Problems of Economic Policy in Latin America, November 6–9. Chicago. (duplicated).Google Scholar
Hart, Albert G. 1967 An Integrated System of Tax Information: A Model, and a Sketch of Possibilities of Practical Application under Latin American Conditions. New York.Google Scholar
Harvard Law School International Tax Program 1957a Taxation in Brazil. World Tax Series. Boston.Google Scholar
Hart, Albert G. 1957b Taxation in Mexico. World Tax Series. Boston.Google Scholar
Also: 1961 Cumulative Supplement (Boston. 1961.) and 1962 Tax News Release (Chicago. 1962.)Google Scholar
Hart, Albert G. 1959 Analysis of Draft Law No. 462 and Evaluation of Comments on Income Tax Reform: A Report to the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Colombia. Cambridge. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1964 and 1967. Full study available in Spanish in: La Reforma Tributaria de 1960. Escuela Superior de Administración Pública. Bogotá.Google Scholar
Hart, Albert G. 1962 Bibliography on Taxation in Underdeveloped Countries. Cambridge.Google Scholar
Hart, Albert G. 1964 Taxation in Colombia. World Tax Series. Chicago.Google Scholar
Heller, Walter W. 1954 Fiscal Policies for Under-Developed Countries. In: Taxes and Fiscal Policy in Under-developed Countries. United Nations Technical Assistance Administration. New York. Sales no. 1955. II.H.1.Google Scholar
Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1964 and 1967.Google Scholar
Heller, Jack and Kauffman, Kenneth M. 1963 Tax Incentives for Industry in Less Developed Countries. Cambridge. Published in Spanish as: Incentivos fiscales para el desarrollo industrial. Mexico City.Google Scholar
Hicks, J. R. and Hicks, U. K. 1955 Report on Finance and Taxation in Jamaica. Kingston. Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1964 and 1967.Google Scholar
Hinrichs, Harley H. 1966 A General Theory of Tax Structure Change During Economic Development. Cambridge.Google Scholar
Published in Spanish as: Una teoría general del cambio de la estructura tributaria durante el desarrollo. Mexico City.Google Scholar
Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Hinrichs, Harley H. 1967 Lessons of the Argentine Revenue Sharing Experience. In: Revenue Sharing and its Alternatives: What Future for Fiscal Federalism? U. S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee. Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Hirschman, Albert O. 1963 Journeys Toward Progress: Studies of Economic Policy-Making in Latin America. New York.Google Scholar
See especially Chapter 2, Land Use and Land Reform in Colombia. Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1964 and 1967.Google Scholar
Hirschman, Albert O. 1967 Industrial Development in the Brazilian Northeast and the Tax Credit Mechanism of Article 34/18. In Journal of Development Studies. (forthcoming). Also published as: Desenvolvimento industrial no Nordeste Brasileiro e o mecanismo de credito fiscal do artigo 34/18. Revista Brasileira de Economia. 21:4.Google Scholar
Holland, Daniel M. 1966 The Taxation of Unimproved Value in Jamaica. In: Proceedings of the 50th Annual Conference of the National Tax Association, 1965. Harrisburg.Google Scholar
Internal Revenue Service 1967 Background Report on Reforms in Tax Administration through the Alliance for Progress and the Foreign Tax Assistance Program. Washington, D.C. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Jarach, Dino 1966 El impuesto a la renta normal potencial de la tierra. Cuadernos de Finanzas Públicas 5, Programa Conjunto de Tributación OEA/BID. Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Johnson, Harry G. 1965 Fiscal Policy and the Balance of Payments. In: Government Finance and Economic Development. Alan T. Peacock and Gerald Hauser eds. Paris. Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Joint Tax Program of Organization of American States and Inter-American Development Bank 1964 Fiscal Survey of Panama: Problems and Proposals for Reform. Baltimore. Published in Spanish as: Estudio fiscal de Panamá. Mexico City.Google Scholar
Chapter 11 reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Johnson, Harry G. 1964–1967 Programa Conjunto de Tributación OEA/BID: Sistemas Tributarios de América Latina. Chile (1964). Guatemala (1964). Costa Rica (1965). Nicaragua (1966). Honduras (1966). El Salvador (1966). Argentina (1966). Uruguay (1967). Washington, D.C. All except publications on Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay are also available in English from the Pan American Union.Google Scholar
Johnson, Harry G. 1965a Fiscal Policy for Economic Growth in Latin America. Papers and Proceedings of a Conference held in Santiago, Chile, December 1962. Baltimore.Google Scholar
Published in Spanish as: Reforma Tributaria para América Latina: II. Problemas de Política Fiscal. Washington, D.C. (1964).Google Scholar
Johnson, Harry G. 1965b Problems of Tax Administration in Latin America. Papers and Proceedings of a Conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October, 1961. Baltimore.Google Scholar
Published in Spanish as: Reforma Tributaria para América Latina: I. Problemas de Administración de Impuestos. Washington, D.C. (1964).Google Scholar
Johnson, Harry G. 1965c Fiscal Survey of Colombia. Baltimore.Google Scholar
Johnson, Harry G. 1967a Annual Report—1966. Washington, D.C. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Johnson, Harry G. 1967b Reforma Tributaria para América Latina: III. Modelo de Código Tributario. Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Kaldor, Nicholas 1959 Problemas económicas de Chile. El Trimestre Económico. 102:AprilJune. Also published as: Economic Problems of Chile. In: Essays in Economic Policy. Nicholas Kaldor ed. London.Google Scholar
Kaldor, Nicholas 1965 The Role of Taxation in Economic Development. In: Joint Tax Program, 1965a. 7086.Google Scholar
Lauterbach, Albert 1966 Enterprise in Latin America. Ithaca.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lent, George E. 1967 Tax Incentives for Investment in Developing Countries. International Monetary Fund Staff Papers. 14: July: 249321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levin, Jonathan 1967a El ciclo de las importaciones y la política fiscal en Colombia. Revista del Banco de la República. June: 742747.Google Scholar
Levin, Jonathan 1967b The Effects of Economic Development upon the Base Sales Tax: A Case Study of Colombia. International Monetary Fund Fiscal Affairs Department. DM/67/47. July. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Lewis, Jr., Stephen, R. 1967 Taxation of Agriculture and Economic Development. In: Agriculture and Economic Development. B. F. Johnston and H. M. Southworth eds. Ithaca. Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Linder, Staffan Burenstam 1967 Trade and Trade Policy for Development. New York.Google Scholar
MacBean, Alasdair I. 1966 Export Instability and Economic Development. Cambridge.Google Scholar
Mallon, Richard D. 1966 Planning in Crisis. Report no. 46, Economic Development Series, Development Advisory Service, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Cambridge. (multilith).Google Scholar
Maynard, Geoffrey and Van Rijckeghem, Willy 1966 Stabilization Policy in an Inflationary Economy: Argentina. Report no. 34, Economic Development Series, Development Advisory Service, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Cambridge. (multilith). To be published in: Papanek, forthcoming.Google Scholar
Morag, Amotz 1957 Some Economic Aspects of Two Administrative Methods of Estimating Taxable Income. NTJ. 10: June: 176185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moss, Harold 1967 Experiences under the U.S. Foreign Tax Assistance Program. Sixtieth Annual Conference of the National Tax Association. Atlanta. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Musgrave, Richard A. 1965 Estimating the Distribution of the Tax Burden. In: Joint Tax Program, 1965b. 31—111.Google Scholar
Netzer, Dick 1966 Some Aspects of Local Government Finances. Report no. 51, Economic Development Series, Development Advisory Service, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Cambridge. (multilith).Google Scholar
Oldman, Oliver 1964 Tax Reform in El Salvador. Inter-American Law Review. 6: JulyDecember: 379420.Google Scholar
Oldman, Oliver 1965 Controlling Income Tax Evasion. In: Joint Tax Program, 1965b. 296344.Google Scholar
Oldman, Oliver 1966 Tax Policies of Less Developed Countries with Respect to Foreign Income and Income of Foreigners. In: Taxation of Foreign Income. Princeton. Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Oldman, Oliver, Aaron, Henry J., Bird, Richard M., and Kass, Stephen L. 1967 Financing Urban Development in Mexico City. Cambridge.Google Scholar
Kass, Stephen L., and Owens, Elisabeth A. 1966 The International Tax Program. Canadian Tax Journal. September–October: 444450.Google Scholar
Owens, Elisabeth A. 1968 Bibliography on Taxation of Foreign Operations and Foreigners. Cambridge. (forthcoming) .Google Scholar
Prest, A. R. 1965 Corporate Income Taxation in Latin America. In: Joint Tax Program, 1965a. 234247.Google Scholar
Rhoads, William G. and Bird, Richard M. 1967 Financing Urbanization in Developing Countries by Benefit Taxation: Case Study of Colombia. Land Economics. 43: November: 403412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
An extended version was published in Spanish: El impuesto de valorización en Colombia: ¿un ejemplo para otros países en desarrollo? Revista de la Sociedad Interamericana de Planificación. 1: marzo. Suplemento no. 1. To be published in: The Property Tax and Economic Development. Arthur P. Becker ed. Madison. (forthcoming).Google Scholar
Ross, Stanford G. and Christensen, John B. 1959 Tax Incentives for Industry in Mexico. Cambridge.Google Scholar
Schlesinger, Eugene R. 1965 Tax Policy Recommendations of Technical Assistance Missions: Evolution, Pattern, and Interpretation. In: Joint Tax Program, 1965a. 425–452. Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Sheahan, John 1966 Imports, Investment and Growth: Colombian Experience since 1950. Report no. 38, Economic Development Series, Development Advisory Service, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Cambridge. (multilith). To be published in: Papanek, forthcoming.Google Scholar
Shere, Louis 1961 A Tax Program for Colombia. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Shoup, Carl S. 1963 Tax Problems of a Common Market in Latin America. In: Tax Policy of United States Investment in Latin America. Princeton.Google Scholar
Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1964.Google Scholar
Shoup, Carl S. 1965. The Tax System of Brazil. A Report to the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. Rio de Janeiro.Google Scholar
Shoup, Carl S. et al. 1959 The Fiscal System of Venezuela: A Report. Baltimore.Google Scholar
Published in Spanish as: Informe sobre el sistema fiscal de Venezuela. 2 vols. Caracas. Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1964 and 1967.Google Scholar
Shoup, Carl S., Harriss, C. Lowell, and Vickery, William S. 1960 The Fiscal System of the Federal District of Venezuela: A Report. New York.Google Scholar
Social Progress Trust Fund, Inter-American Development Bank 1962–1967 Annual Reports for 1961, 1962, 1962, 1964, 1965, and 1966. Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Sommerfeld, Raynard M. 1966 Tax Reform and the Alliance for Progress. Austin.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strasma, John D. 1965 Market-enforced Self-assessment for Real Estate Taxes. BIFD. 19: 9 and 10:353363 and 397414.Google Scholar
Strasma, John D. 1966 Property Taxation in Chile. ( unpublished ).Google Scholar
Surrey, Stanley S. 1958 Tax Administration in Undeveloped Countries. University of Miami Law Review. 12: winter: 158188.Google Scholar
Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1964 and 1967.Google Scholar
Surrey, Stanley S. 1967 Tax Policy and Tax Administration. Remarks before the Inter-American Center of Tax Administrators, Panama City, May 5. (mimeographed).Google Scholar
Surrey, Stanley S. and Oldman, Oliver 1961 Report of a Preliminary Survey of the Tax System of Argentina. Public Finance. 16:155182, 313342.Google Scholar
Tanabe, Noburu 1967 The Taxation of Net Wealth. IMF Staff Papers. 14: March: 124–156. Reprinted in part in: Bird and Oldman, 1967.Google Scholar
Tanzi, Vito 1966 Personal Income Taxation in Latin America—Obstacles and Possibilities. NTJ. 19: June: 156162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, Milton C. 1957 Industrial Tax Exemption in Puerto Rico. Madison.Google Scholar
Taylor, Milton C. 1960 What Happens when Exemptions End: Retrospect and Prospect in Puerto Rico. In: Taxation and Operations Abroad. Princeton.Google Scholar
Reprinted in: Bird and Oldman, 1964.Google Scholar
Taylor, Milton C. 1967a Tax Policy Goals and Economic Development under the Alliance for Progress. NTJ. 20: December: 412423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, Milton C. 1967b Taxation and Economic Development: A Case Study of Peru. IAEA. 21: 3:4354. Full report, Fiscal Survey of Peru, to be published by Joint Tax Program (forthcoming).Google Scholar
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs 1967 Manual of Income Tax Administration, Discussion Draft (in consultation with Harvard Law School International Tax Program). New York.Google Scholar
Vanek, Jaroslav 1967 Estimating Foreign Resource Needs for Economic Development: Theory, Method, and a Case Study of Colombia (with the assistance of Richard Bilsborrow). New York.Google Scholar
Wallich, Henry C. and Adler, John H. 1951 Public Finance in a Developing Country: El Salvador, A Case Study. Cambridge. Published in Spanish as: Proyecciones económicas de las finanzas públicas: un estudio experimental en El Salvador. Mexico City.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watkin, Virginia G. 1967 Taxes and Tax Harmonization in Central America. Cambridge.Google Scholar
World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) 1950 The Basis of a Development Program for Colombia. Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) 1951a Report on Cuba. Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) 1951b The Economic Development of Guatemala. Baltimore.Google Scholar
World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) 1953a The Economic Development of Mexico (with Combined Mexican Working Party). Baltimore.Google Scholar
World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) 1953b The Economic Development of Nicaragua. Baltimore.Google Scholar
World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) 1961 The Economic Development of Venezuela. Baltimore.Google Scholar