Tax policy reform for sustainable economic growth in Serbia
Abstract In the last two decades, the Serbian economy posted an average growth rate of 3.8 percent, which was above the average growth rate in the EU, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)1 and the Western Balkans2. Together with sharp decline in population, this has led to some economic convergence in terms of the GDP per capita, although the gap to the EU and CEE countries remains significant (57 and 42 percent respectively). To achieve full economic convergence with the European countries, Serbian economy needs to post long run growth rates of 4-6 percent per year, in a sustainable manner, which primarily refers to a more fair distribution of growth dividend (reduction of economic inequality) and limiting negative environmental footprint. In this sense, the reform of tax policy can make a contribution to the sustainable growth of the Serbian economy, through: i) a slight reduction in the overall tax burden, primarily through a significant cut in labour taxes, which may be financed by means of broadening the environmental taxes base, increase in consumption taxes and reducing unproductive public expenditures, ii) moderately increasing the progressivity of the personal income tax, recurring property tax and inheritance tax, and iii) broadening the environmental taxes base (with the focus on energy and pollution taxes) and introducing the tax incentives for households to switch to green energy sources
Sažetak U poslednje dve decenije privreda Srbije beležila je prosečnu stopu rasta od 3,8 odsto, što je bilo iznad prosečne stope rasta u EU, Centralnoj i Istočnoj Evropi (CIE) i Zapadnom Balkanu. Zajedno sa naglim padom stanovništva, ovo je dovelo do određene ekonomske konvergencije u smislu BDP-a po glavi stanovnika, iako je jaz u odnosu na zemlje EU i CIE i dalje značajan (57 odnosno 42 procenta). Da bi ostvarila punu ekonomsku konvergenciju sa evropskim zemljama, privreda Srbije bi trebalo da beleži dugoročne stope rasta od 4-6 odsto godišnje, na održiv način, što se pre svega odnosi na pravedniju raspodelu koristi od rasta (smanjenje ekonomske nejednakosti) i ograničavanje negativnog uticaja na životnu sredinu. U tom smislu, reforma poreske politike može doprineti održivom rastu srpske privrede, kroz: i) blago smanjenje ukupnog poreskog opterećenja, pre svega kroz značajno umanjenje poreza na rad, koje se može finansirati povećanjem poreza na potrošnju, povećanjem obuhvata ekoloških poreza i smanjenjem neproduktivnih javnih rashoda, ii) umereno povećanje progresivnosti poreza na dohodak fizičkih lica, godišnjeg poreza na imovinu i poreza nasledstvo, te iii) proširenje obuhvata ekoloških poreza (sa fokusom na poreze na energente i zagađenje) i razmatranje uvođenja poreskih podsticaja za domaćinstva za prelazak na zelene izvore energije
engleski
2022
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Keywords: tax policy, reforms, economic growth, inequality, environment, sustainable development
Ključne reči: poreska politika, reforme, privredni rast, nejednakost, životna sredina, održivi razvoj