Fiscal Issues Research Articles

OUTSOURCING OF TAX SERVICES: THE CASE OF ROMANIA

Taxation is an important component of the business strategy and every person and company would like to pay lower taxes and still be compliant with the fiscal legislation. This paper investigates the outsourcing of tax services for natural persons, SMEs and large companies. We employed a qualitative approach using Core competences theory as theoretical framework, business environment from Romania as context and semi-structured interviews as research method. The interviews involved accounting firms and clients. The results indicated that in case of tax services outsourcing, external accountants and tax advisors help their clients to make the tax planning, improve their compliance and reduce the tax risks. Natural persons often outsource the tasks regarding taxation due to a lack of time and expertise. Outsourcing of tax services like outsourcing of accounting services is very common in small companies and smaller medium-sized enterprises for cost reduction reasons and their main interest is to comply with the fiscal law and lessen their tax burden. In larger medium-sized enterprises and large corporations the volume, variety and complexity of transactions are high and because of that so are the tax risks. In order to mitigate the tax risks, avoid fines and penalties, some of these companies resort also to external tax services such as verification or preparation of tax returns, tax reviews, ongoing support on fiscal issues, assistance and representation during fiscal inspections. International companies regardless of their size are more open to collaborate with external accountants and tax advisors. Due to recent introduction of SAF-T as declarative obligation, companies expect an increase in their tax compliance costs since they have to employ external support in a greater extent. Showing, the importance and the role of external accountants and tax advisors for persons and companies running businesses in Romania represents the main contribution of our study.

The small pelagics value chain in Mauritania – Recent changes and food security impacts

This paper identifies the effect of Mauritian regulation changes on EU industrial vessels’ fishing activities and their implications for food security. The rich resources of Mauritanian waters have historically been utilized by large foreign trawlers, creating small ripple effects and jobs in Mauritania. However, in 2012, Mauritanian authorities introduced new restrictive access conditions; a 20 nautical mile limit and an obligation to land fish caught in this area in Mauritania, so as the national fishing industry to play a more important role. This resulted in significant changes to vessel fishing strategies and distribution channels. For instance, EU vessels that had supplied markets in the Gulf of Guinea, providing a low-cost source of protein to populations, were now unable to exploit the important sardinella resources that migrate along the coast for such purposes. Instead, these resources are now harvested by Turkish coastal vessels, supplying a very recent large fishmeal and oil industry based in Mauritania. Large quantities of small pelagics have thus been redirected from being valuable food products to creating fishmeal aimed at non-human uses. Moreover, this change has put the small pelagics stocks under pressure and most species are currently overexploited. Mauritania, under its current 2021–25 policy, is presently implementing measures to develop a fish processing industry aimed at human consumption, to which European vessels can supply fish. Yet, further improvements are still required in the business environment, such as transparency, regulatory framework and fiscal issues, to enhance regional food security.

The Blockchain Technology and Tax Compliance: Possibilities and Potential Uses

This work represents a study aimed at exploring the relationship between Tax Compliance and the distributed ledger technology known as "Blockchain," without fully exhausting the subject matter. The main objective is to clarify and demonstrate the potential uses of Blockchain technology in facilitating corporate tax compliance. The anticipated potentials of this technology are just as significant as the possibilities it offers for tax authorities in terms of monitoring tax collection, which will also be addressed.
 The study adopts an inductive method and relies on research conducted through bibliographic and jurisprudential sources, both in physical and digital formats. The research is justified by the revolutionary potential that Blockchain technology holds for tax compliance activities. The hypothesis guiding this research is that Blockchain technology can be effectively and disruptively applied in the field of Tax Compliance.
 Through a thorough analysis of basic concepts related to Blockchain technology, this study reaches the conclusion that the hypothesis is valid. It identifies various fiscal issues that can benefit from the use of this technology and presents concrete cases where it is already being implemented in Brazil. Furthermore, the study explores potential applications of Blockchain technology in Tax Compliance based on research and publications by leading accounting and tax auditing firms worldwide.
 The topic addressed in this study is highly relevant and timely, as the practical possibilities of Blockchain technology are just beginning to emerge. Recent developments, such as the launch of Blockchain systems by Brazil's tax authorities, further emphasize the importance and timeliness of this research.
 In conclusion, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of the potential uses of Blockchain technology in the context of Tax Compliance. It highlights its disruptive potential and offers insights into how this technology can transform the routines of tax professionals in the coming years.

Revisiting the Early Anti-colonial Rebellions in Bengal and Odisha, 1760–1856

This is an outline of the early rebellions against the East India Company that broke out in the region, comprised of the present-day Bangladesh, and Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha. Organised by a wide range of people, from ascetics, peasants, landlords to discontented nobles; these primordial rebellions summed up some of their responses to the new revenue regime, land-settlements, dispossessions, and fiscal issues, in the first hundred years of the company’s rule. The complex composition pattern of the rebellions, including ideological issues, has been analysed with reference to the Sannyasi and Fakir rebellions, due to wide research attention they received earlier. Important shreds of the history of anti-colonialism at the regional level, these rebellions not only represented elements of continuity linking them to the Great Tumult of 1857, but also contributed to the broader national movements.

A vicious cycle: Fiscal intervention, pension underfunding, and instability in (re)making racialized geographies

The 2008 financial crisis had profound impacts on government finances across the United States, including a lasting decrease in public pension funding levels. Today state and local governments in the United States have trillions of dollars in unfunded public pension liabilities, and the financial condition of pension systems has material impacts on borrowing costs, service delivery, and taxation, as well as retirement security. Local governments have been tasked with shoring up their pension systems while also grappling with sluggish revenue recovery, a situation that compounds already existing fiscal issues. Building on extant scholarship on crisis, austerity urbanism, and pragmatic municipalism, we examine the practice of “shorting” pension systems among Illinois municipalities and a state law meant to strengthen the fiscal health of local pension systems by curbing that practice. Using the case of the City of Harvey, a suburb of Chicago, we show how municipal finance and seemingly neutral policies aimed at ensuring fiscal health can trigger austerity actions that deepen fiscal stress for racialized communities. By examining Illinois’ pension fund landscape and proposing avenues for further research, we contribute to larger conversations about how governance, property, and pensions are inextricably intertwined with persistent racial inequality.

Findings From an Empirical Exploration of Evaluators’ Values

Psychological theory suggests that evaluators’ individual values and traits play a fundamental role in evaluation practice, though few empirical studies have explored those constructs in evaluators. This paper describes an empirical study on evaluators’ individual, work, and political values, as well as their personality traits to predict evaluation practice and methodological orientation. The results suggest evaluators value benevolence, achievement, and universalism; they lean socially liberal but are slightly more conservative on fiscal issues; and they tend to be conscientious, agreeable, and open to new experiences. In the workplace, evaluators value competence and opportunities for growth, as well as status and independence. These constructs did not statistically predict evaluation practice, though some workplace values and individual values predicted quantitative methodological orientation. We conclude by discussing strengths, limitations, and next steps for this line of research.

Teaching international comparative public management through a development lens

The article tackles the question, how to provide students with a comparative orientation to public administration. We eschew the older tradition of comparing major systems such British parliamentary system or French bureaucratic approaches to organizations’ structure. Rather, we seek to understand public administration in countries with different cultures, histories, and political regimes by focusing on international development. Our students are drawn from the Master of Public Administration degree program and the Master of International Affairs degree program. What unites them is an interest in international affairs and the desire to work internationally; international students take what they learn and apply it in their home countries. We ground the course on a model of international development with a strong focus on development in governance. We spend the first third of the class creating a development lens for understanding global practices in public management in which they use what they learned in the first part of the course to analyze a range of public management issues within governmental institutions and/or in working in the nongovernmental organizations and intergovernmental organization sectors. We use detailed case studies drawn from several case data banks to apply some of the core concepts of public administration such as leadership, stakeholder analysis, complexity, and implementation to development challenges such as fiscal issues, poverty alleviation, interorganizational collaboration, and human rights. We do this with a range of in-class exercises and assignments that students do out of class. One goal we have is to provide students with knowledge and skills to enhance their ability to work internationally since many have gone on to work for donor and various implementing organizations in international development. We believe that this is a reasonable measure of success of the approach we have taken to comparative public administration.

Fiscal issues of entities’ non-financial reporting

The article identifies areas for strengthening the information value of non-financial reporting data, in particular in terms of its fiscal issues. The author substantiates the issues of disclosure of data on the impact of uncertainty on the entities’ activities based on the results of the analysis of scientific publications and generally accepted international documents. It is proved that high-quality non-financial reporting can serve as one of the tools for attracting additional funding for eliminating the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article highlights the results of the analysis of non-financial reporting of state-owned enterprises to identify data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their activities and compliance with the list of sustainability reporting indicators defined in the document “Guidance on core indicators for entity reporting on contribution towards implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals”, developed by UNCTAD ISAR. The paper substantiates that non-financial reporting data can serves as one of the information sources for decision-making at the state level in terms of avoiding fiscal risks (management report, report on payments to government). The core research methods used in the article: bibliometric analysis; synthesis; observation.

Investment and Economic Situation Analysis of Germany

This article starts with the Preliminary Information of German investment and economic conditions, and then studies the financial markets at all levels in Germany, as well as government-ed fiscal issues, analyzes the German economic status through foreign debt, IMF programs and various indicators, and then introduces the status of German economic reforms. And the im pact of the international situation on the German economy, and then through risk analysis, the development of the German economy and investment can be obtained.

The effect of fiscal decentralization, environmental regulation, and economic development on haze pollution: empirical evidence for 270 Chinese cities during 2007-2016.

The current discourse addresses fiscal issues, financial decentralization, and environmental quality and significantly affects economic development and sustainability. This investigation aims to address the research gap in fiscal decentralization and haze pollution for innovation and sustainable growth. This study uses the annual data of 270 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2016 for comprehensive analysis and employs spatial regression methods. The key findings imply that haze pollution in neighbouring cities causes further ecological issues. While the environmental regulations of China tend to have negative impacts on pollution, fiscal decentralization was found to be a key contributor to environmental pollution in Chinese cities. Overall, the study supports the validity of the pollution refuge hypothesis in China. Lastly, the conclusions allow us to conclude that China might need micro-level reforms regarding fiscal decentralization, environmental tax laws, and encouragement of cleaner production technologies.

Does fiscal pressure constrain policy responsiveness? Evidence from Germany

AbstractPolitical responsiveness is highly unequal along class lines, which has triggered a lively debate about potential causes of this political inequality. What has remained largely unexplored in this debate are the structural economic conditions under which policymakers operate. In this contribution, we hypothesize that budgetary pressures affect both the level and the equality of political responsiveness. Using a dataset containing public opinion data on around 450 fiscal policy proposals in Germany between 1980 and 2016, we investigate whether policymakers are more responsive on issues with budgetary consequences under conditions of low fiscal pressure than under conditions of high fiscal pressure. We find that responsiveness indeed varies systematically with the degree of fiscal pressure and that policymakers are less responsive on fiscal issues when fiscal pressure is high. This holds for both left‐wing and right‐wing governments. In contrast, we do not find strong effects of fiscal pressure on political inequality: responsiveness is not more equal in fiscally more permissive times. However, since different types of policy proposals are adopted in times of high fiscal stress, unequal responsiveness has different policy implications in times of high and low fiscal pressure.

984A novel cost diary approach to analyse the financial burden of living with arthritis

Abstract Focus of Presentation Amongst Australia’s working-age population with arthritis, financial distress is known to be high and contribute to poorer health outcomes. Yet the personal financial burden of living with arthritis is not well understood. Here we present initial findings from one of the first projects to measure personal financial distress as a determinant of health for individuals living with arthritis. Findings Participants aged 18-50 years detailed their arthritis-attributable out-of-pocket costs in an online consumer-informed cost diary; once a week, for six weeks, alongside a work productivity and financial distress scale. Costs were grouped into seven categories, including: direct medical appointments, allied health appointments, other health appointments, medications or supplements, symptom/pain management items, medical tests, and other expenses. Costs per individual per week ranged from $40.30 (AUD) to $25,789 (AUD). High costs were not linked to quality of care, demonstrated by one participant spending $495.00 (AUD) on chiropractic appointments across the six weeks. High levels of financial distress were associated with reduced work productivity, but were not associated with level of weekly expenditure. Conclusions/Implications Adults with arthritis experience financial hardship associated with their disease. Discussion of arthritis-related financial concerns should form part of shared clinical decision-making and education, to facilitate prioritisation of care that is evidence-based and feasible. Key messages These findings can be used to raise awareness of key fiscal issues relevant to adults with arthritis, and to educate clinicians about the wide-ranging impacts of arthritis beyond physical symptoms.

Non-Motorized Transportation Analysis of Traffic Density, Pollution Using Regression Anova Analysis

Planners are now trying to provide greener travel solutions to reduce fiscal, social, and environmental issues. This research, therefore, seeks to find significant reasons for urban transport to enhance the use of alternative transportation modes. This report seeks to establish the connection between influential metrics for urban mobility and regular travel trips from different parts of the world. Deployment of excellent non-motorized transport facilities for Walking and cycling is a good way to encourage the use of bicycles, thereby increasing the physical fitness of end-users. Past studies were thoroughly reviewed and found to be applicable for analysis and application in the real world. Anova's regression analysis is distinguished by a more comprehensive interpretation of the findings. At Rajkamal Intersection, Amravati district, Maharashtra the traffic volume counts were carried out. It is the focus of the transport congestion, which leads to a polluted atmosphere due to prolonged duration at the signals. In this research, it can be seen that with the use of Motorized transport the traffic density & air pollution will increase with time, and with the increase in the use of Non-Motorized transport, the traffic density decreases also the air pollution is at a steady pace. The current study shows the necessity, favourable conditions, and economic benefits of non-motorized sustainable traffic, in the Indian condition.

Ethical Problems in Nigerian Fiscal Administration (An Analysis of Political Emoluments and Remuneration)

Political Emoluments have never been only a Nigerian issue, but also a fiscal issue facing global economy today. It has become an ethical issue in public financial management, thereby hampering on the economic growth of national and international economies, respectively. Nevertheless, this paper takes into consideration such ethical issues, laying emphasis on the constitutional background of how this finance issue can be resolved legally and ethically. The major methodology to researching on this fiscal issue is a descriptive, explanatory, and prescriptive analysis, putting together the legal provisions of the Nigerian constitutions as a DNA for appropriate recommendations as a way forward. The paragraph 31 and 32 of the 3rd Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution is the major area of focus for the analysis of this paper, thereby drawing a line between the adoption of the written and spirit of the aforementioned section of the constitution in theory and practice in order to curb the fiscal crisis in the Nigerian public Emoluments laws.

FOR THE ISSUE OF IMPROVING THE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

The modern world is facing very serious challenges. Our society has once again strongly felt all the challenges of a pandemic. Mankind is going through this ordeal and the economic crisis provoked by it. We have a need for global, fundamental macroeconomic change. The world is changing before our eyes and in these conditions there is a chance for the country to correctly assess the current situation. Despite the rich resource potential of the country, the share of food exports in the country's total exports is 7-9%, and imports - 10-12%. At the same time, according to the results of 2019, food imports exceeded exports by 3 times. Many factors need to be considered when formulating a state support policy, however, the strategy for action should be based on several important principles: 1. Information-analytical support of the state agrarian policy and management of the forecasting system; 2. Access to government support; 3. The consistency of the policy of the Ministry and its sustainable nature, because the long-term goals and objectives facing the field can not be questioned; 4. Competitive products and conditions of its production; 5. Public involvement and participation of industry associations in defining strategic tasks. We get a picture where all five principles are completely violated in both business practice and thought theory. Programs are fragmentary and less result-oriented, the information-analytical part is weak and vague, there is no forecasting system, unequal conditions are maintained in the market and there are no conditions for its protection and regulation, government actions are mostly inconsistent and inflexible, sectorial associations are virtually mixed. They not only dominate the formation of policies implemented by the state, but it also acts on their orders and often seriously damages the process. We believe that the current strategy of agriculture and rural development in Georgia, with its content, goals and objectives, does not meet the challenges facing the country and the sector. The agenda highlights the need to create a new strategic document with more involvement of scientists, experts, practitioners and farmers, which will be the subject of public discussion before adoption. The need for a "big push policy" is suggested by the authors in the paper. The proposed vision, where the territorial and sectoral principles complement each other, moreover their synergy creates a precondition for development, requires more attention from the state. At the modern stage, reasonable, scientifically substantiated and at the same time adapted in practice target-program action models are gaining special importance. They are part of a complex macroeconomic government vision in which all agencies, entities and individuals have explicit rights and responsibilities. All the above problems can be overcome if there is political will and we will replace evolutionary inertia with a policy of revolutionary big push, where the state will comprehensively understand all the problems and advantages, thus creating a Georgian model of crisis management and development. We need to address the challenges, create a new strategic document for overcoming the crisis and promising development, where, along with monetary and fiscal issues, we will play an important role in the regional and agrarian development of Georgia. We are not really in the reality to be satisfied and follow the state in the policy of "evolutionary self-flow", we need a new strategic vision, targeted programs, a new understanding of the food security problem, flexible stimulus and regulatory policies, fast, effective and responsible action by the government.

Yunjong Wang Comments on COVID-19 in Korea: Success Based on Past Failure

Yunjong Wang Comments on COVID-19 in Korea: Success Based on Past Failure

Ageing and Welfare-State Policy Making: Macroeconomic Perspective

It has been well recognized that population ageing could generate structural changes centered around the dwindling labor force, on one hand, and the expanding dependency on the generosity of the welfare state, on the other hand. Ageing-related welfare state policy entails both fiscal issues and migration issues. The paper employs a general-equilibrium model with a policy-making focus, to help understand the mechanism governing the provision of social benefits, labor income taxation, capital income taxation, migration curbs on low skilled and high skilled, driven by the ageing of the population. Greater generosity of the welfare state comes together with policy of a more liberal migration policy — incentive compatible with the interests of the majority voters.

ЕФЕКТИВНЕ ФУНКЦІОНУВАННЯ ТА НАПОВНЕННЯ ДОХІДНОЇ БАЗИ ДЕРЖАВНОГО БЮДЖЕТУ УКРАЇНИ В УМОВАХ ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19

The outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic has become, without exaggeration, another challenge for humanity, which is of a global nature. On the one hand, we are talking about the ability to quickly and effectively determine the nature of the causative agent of the next disaster and develop appropriate methods and drugs for treatment. On the other hand, any epidemic, let alone a pandemic, has very specific economic consequences in the short, medium and long term. As world history testifies, first of all, epidemics, pandemics and other types of emergencies entail an excessive loss of resources, which can lead to a decline in economic growth, a slowdown in reproduction rates, and a decrease in the volume of output of goods and services in the territory where the disaster occurred. In these circumstances, today it is no longer in doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a challenge for the global economy. Research and provisions on the feasibility of institutional changes in the system of budget revenues based on the activation of financial and economic regulatory potential of the state, which will increase budget revenues without increasing the tax burden on the domestic economy. The paper offers a brief analysis of the main short-term indicators of Ukraine's economic development. The modern functioning and filling of the revenue base of the state budget is considered, and the main problems are identified. Highlighted consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget preparation process for the next fiscal years is reviewed, with an increased focus on institutional aspects and operational constraints related to the COVID-19 context. The stage of strategy formation, for the effective functioning and filling of the revenue Bai of the state budget is an essential part of its budget preparation process, unprecedented political measures to redirect existing resources to health and social support activities, the strategy formation stage will give the first opportunity to overestimate the impact of these measures and start planning the withdrawal of public finances on a solid foundation. According to the recommendations made to resolve the fiscal issue. The author highlights the mechanisms of flexibility of the state budget.

Knowledge, Use, and Perceived Value of University Student Services

Universities throughout the United States struggle with fiscal issues that can be improved by greater retention and graduation rates. One step often taken is to cut student service spending, which hurts students’ ability to finish a degree. While some have advocated for greater spending in student services, we contend that current services may suffice. Since many students do not understand the services available, many do not take advantage of university offerings. This study looks at differences in perceptions between international and domestic students concerning awareness, use, and value of services available at a western U.S. land-grant university. We found many students, both international and domestic, are not aware of available programs, which correlates to less use and perceived value of these services and programs.

Issues arising from the low efficiency of the mechanism for the State to provide the budgetary finance to heavily subsidized regions of the Russian Federation

Subject. Despite the macroeconomic stability, the rate of economic growth is still low. Seventy two constituent entities of the Russian Federation need governmental subsidies, with six of them being highly subsidized. Moreover, the government allocates substantial funds to subnational transfers. Objectives. The study aims to determine what causes the low efficiency of the governmental subsidizing mechanism for highly subsidized regions. We also try to find how the situation can be improved. Methods. We applied methods of logic and statistical analysis. Results. We found that highly subsidized regions are not motivated to effectively utilize fiscal funds and find their own sources of finance. The article also indicates weaknesses and inaccuracies of fiscal forecasts and planning, including fiscal potential assessment techniques. There are no clear mechanisms incentivizing the regions to increment their financial potential. We also should note the clinging behavior and excessive centralization of the fiscal system. Conclusions and Relevance. The fact that the Russian fiscal practice predominantly depends on subsidies is caused by geographical, resource, socioeconomic, political and fiscal issues. As for highly subsidized regions, the modern subsidizing mechanism is insufficiently effective, since the regions are not motivated to effectively use the fiscal subsidies and find their own financial resources, and do not have appropriate levers to regulate and increment their financial potential. To eliminate this, they should expand financial opportunities and responsibility of regions as part of their economic policy. The economic policy should encourage innovation and harmonize the regional budgetary and fiscal policy. It is reasonable to cover more aspects for the assessment of the fiscal potential index, including fiscal expenditures of regions and their efficiency, improving the existing approaches to estimating expenditure commitments of the regions, using the model budget and proliferating the practice of budgetary expenditure reviews.