<p>Car usage is determined by several facts, e.g. living conditions determined by geographical matters. There is a political will to control car usage with different kinds of incentives since car usage generates environmental problems. This essay analyses the differences between car usage in urban areas as opposed to thinly populated areas in Sweden and their significance on governmental incentives. By using statistics differences in car ownership during ten years between thinly populated areas, areas in the countryside and urban areas is studied. Among other things living conditions determined by geographical matters that can explain the differences and problems with fuel taxes and road pricing is being discussed in the analyse.</p>

Background: The Stop rule for buying in property was introduced through 1976 years legislation and its formemost purpose was to prevent companies to acquire property that was useless for the company. Assets such as cars, boats and arts were of current interest. At the same time as this stop rule was introduced, another stop rule was also introduced and this was meant to work to forbid the partner to buy property from the close company to a price that would lead to sell at loss for the company. After a government decision (1999:2000, Abolished Stop rules) the close company is no longer living under this restriction since these two stop rules have been abolished since January 2001. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate which criteria are the basis to judge whether the assets is to consider as useful or not for the close company. We also intend to investigate if the partners will use the situation that the two stop rules have been abolished. Accomplishment: In this thesis our primary data consists of interviews with in all ten persons from nine different companies; three with auditors from Ernst &amp; Young, KPMG and Skarin &amp; Brindelid, two with tax lawyers; one at the Tax Authorities and one with the director of studies at the Juridical Institution at Linköping University, one tax consultant at Ernst &amp; Young and one tax auditor at the Tax Authorities in Norrköping. We also interviewed the administrative director of the Accounting Committee. Finally we interviewed two bank clerks at SEB and Föreningssparbanken. Result: To decide whether an asset is useful it has shown that it is hard to draw a clear boundary for what should be seen as useful or not. From the literature and the interviews we have been able to stipulate the following criteria for a useless asset; 1. it does not generate profit in the company, 2. it does not lead to future cash flows, 3. it is exclusively referred to the partners private use and the cost for it cannot be carried by the company in the long-term and because of that, the liquid capital in the company will be jeopardized. 4. it is exclusively reffered to the partner´s private use and the partner has not been imposed tax for it. The auditors and the bank clerks think that if a property has been bought by the close company it should be seen as an asset. The tax lawyers and the tax auditor, on the other hand, think that such property is to be seen as private. This boundary problem is based on the fact that Civil law and Tax Law are far away from each other.

This thesis consists of a summary and four papers. The first two papers address political economy and indus-trial organization aspects of agricultural policy, and the last two international aspects of environmental policy. Paper [I] explains Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies to farmers by the influence of farmer interest-groups with an EU-wide membership. The analysis is based on panel-data for fifteen commodities over the period 1986-2003. Because the CAP is set as an overall EU policy, effective lobbying presents a collective ac-tion problem to the farmers in the EU as a whole. Indicators of lobbying, which are based on this perception, are found to explain part of the variation in agricultural support. In Paper [II], the Bresnahan-Lau framework is used to analyze whether policy reforms, i.e. the two-price sys-tem (an input quota, 1986-1991) and a general deregulation of dairy policy (1991-1994) had any market power effects on the Swedish butter market. The results show that the null hypothesis of no market power cannot be rejected, for any of the specific policy reforms, at any reasonable significance level. Paper [III] concerns the welfare consequences of environmental policy cooperation. It is assumed that coun-tries finance their public expenditures by using distortionary taxes, and that they differ with respect to compe-tition in the labor market. It is shown how the welfare effect of an increase in the expenditures on abatement depends on changes in the environmental damage, employment and work hours. The welfare effect is also related to the strategic interaction among the countries in the prereform equilibrium. In Paper [IV] environmental policy in an economic federation, where each national government faces a mixed tax problem, is addressed. It is assumed that the federal government sets emission targets, which are imple-mented at the national level. It is also assumed that the economic federation is decentralized. The results high-light a strategic role of income and commodity taxation, i.e. each country uses its policy instruments, at least in part, to influence the emission target.

In June 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in a case called National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius. While initially the decision seemed favorable to supporters of the bill, Chief Justice Roberts’ majority opinion could likely render the bill ineffective in implementation and it creates more Constitutionally confusing precedent than it resolves. Among the questions that now rise to the surface are: will Congress be able to raise the tax to a level where it will become effective? What is now mandatory for states to adopt into their Medicaid programs? Where is the line for the federal government with regards to coercion? What are the definitions of direct and indirect taxes? And, how binding is the Origination Clause of the Constitution?

Although much research on corporate dividend policy exists, the evidence is far from conclusive. Understanding how dividend taxes affect firm-level decisions is crucial to evaluating dividend imputation credits which provide shareholder-level tax credits for dividends received or decreased shareholder-level dividend tax rates, which reduce the double taxation of dividends. Using changes in New Zealand and Australia’s tax regimes, this dissertation provides new evidence on the relationship between tax incentives for R&D investment and dividend payment. The results show that the theory that the tension between R&D investment and dividend payment decreases when a country previously not offering tax incentives for R&D investment or dividend payout, implements one, does not hold using New Zealand firms. Further, New Zealand dividend-paying firms with higher marginal tax rates behave in the manner predicted for firms moving from a tax regime offering a tax incentive for R&D investment to a tax regime offering tax incentives for both R&D investment and dividend payment. The results using Australian data, demonstrate that that the tension between R&D investment and dividend payment increases when a country previously offering only a tax incentives for R&D investment, offers one for both R&D investment and dividend payment. This result is driven by firms with high marginal tax rates. These findings demonstrate that the relationship between tax incentives for R&D investment and dividend payment varies according to firm marginal tax rates and typical dividend payment policies. It also reiterates the importance of considering firms’ abilities to use R&D tax incentives, via their marginal tax rates, when contemplating the effects a shareholder-level dividend tax decrease will have on R&D investment. This dissertation also provides new insight into the corporate dividend policy views. The results support the double taxation and tax irrelevance views in dividend-paying firms operating in a tax regime with dividend imputation and capital gains taxes. By documenting a significant decrease in R&D investment after a change in dividend taxes, this dissertation also highlights a void in the current corporate dividend policy views and shows the need for the inclusion of R&D investment.

This essay is questioning if the state as an unsecured creditor in a bankruptcy proceeding, according to the principle of equal treatment, has the same rights as the other unsecured creditors. The principle of equal treatment means that creditors with unsecured claims are supposed to have mutually equal rights to dividends in a bankruptcy. In the Swedish bankruptcy law from 1987 there are recycling rules which means that some legal actions taken by the bankrupt debtor before the bankruptcy can be recycled to the bankruptcy estate. These rules do not apply on taxes. This essay analyzes whether the state should have this advantage or not. Another issue that’s discussed in this essay is whether or not the opinion of the Court of Appeal that a right of recourse on a claim for a paid Governmental wage guarantee exists before a bankruptcy should be established by the Supreme Court. This essay also analyzes if the rule which statutes that a company representative can become personally liable for the company tax debts should be abolished or not, since this rule means that the taxes on a larger scale than other claims are paid before the bankruptcy.

<p>Background: The Stop rule for buying in property was introduced through 1976 years legislation and its formemost purpose was to prevent companies to acquire property that was useless for the company. Assets such as cars, boats and arts were of current interest. At the same time as this stop rule was introduced, another stop rule was also introduced and this was meant to work to forbid the partner to buy property from the close company to a price that would lead to sell at loss for the company. After a government decision (1999:2000, Abolished Stop rules) the close company is no longer living under this restriction since these two stop rules have been abolished since January 2001. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate which criteria are the basis to judge whether the assets is to consider as useful or not for the close company. We also intend to investigate if the partners will use the situation that the two stop rules have been abolished. </p><p>Accomplishment: In this thesis our primary data consists of interviews with in all ten persons from nine different companies; three with auditors from Ernst & Young, KPMG and Skarin & Brindelid, two with tax lawyers; one at the Tax Authorities and one with the director of studies at the Juridical Institution at Linköping University, one tax consultant at Ernst & Young and one tax auditor at the Tax Authorities in Norrköping. We also interviewed the administrative director of the Accounting Committee. Finally we interviewed two bank clerks at SEB and Föreningssparbanken. </p><p>Result: To decide whether an asset is useful it has shown that it is hard to draw a clear boundary for what should be seen as useful or not. From the literature and the interviews we have been able to stipulate the following criteria for a useless asset; 1. it does not generate profit in the company, 2. it does not lead to future cash flows, 3. it is exclusively referred to the partners private use and the cost for it cannot be carried by the company in the long-term and because of that, the liquid capital in the company will be jeopardized. 4. it is exclusively reffered to the partner´s private use and the partner has not been imposed tax for it. The auditors and the bank clerks think that if a property has been bought by the close company it should be seen as an asset. The tax lawyers and the tax auditor, on the other hand, think that such property is to be seen as private. This boundary problem is based on the fact that Civil law and Tax Law are far away from each other.</p>

In February 2013, eleven Member States agreed to adopt the Commissions' Proposal for a Council Directive implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax, COM (2013)71 final. This article reviews three thematic areas frequently discussed by practitioners and academia alike on the impact that the Proposal could have on companies operating within participating Member States. This includes the impact on capital and related costs, business strategy and compliance considerations. I ask the question whether the unintentional repercussions could be mitigated by making adjustments to the current Proposal including the expansion of exemptions and the adoption of an implementation framework that takes inspiration from the Value Added Tax System that is already implemented across Member States. (author's abstract) / Series: WU International Taxation Research Paper Series

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Tyrimo objektas – verslo plėtrą įtakojantys Lietuvos Respublikos mokesčiai. Tyrimo dalykas – mokesčių įtaka verslo plėtrai. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti mokesčių įtaką smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo plėtrai Lietuvoje. Uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo plėtros tendencijas apmokestinimo kontekste. 2. Identifikuoti pagrindines smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo apmokestinimo problemas. 3. Atlikus Lietuvos Respublikos smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo apmokestinimo analizę, parengti pasiūlymus Lietuvos Respublikos mokesčių pakeitimams, kurie padėtų skatinti smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo plėtrą. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros ir teisės aktų analizė ir sintezė, ekonominiai-statistiniai duomenų rinkimo ir analizės metodai; rodiklių grupavimo, palyginimo ir grafinio vaizdavimo būdai. Tyrimo rezultatai: • Pirmoje darbo dalyje ištirta smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo būklė ir plėtros tendencijos, įvertinta apmokestinimo uždavinių ir principų taikymas ūkio subjektams, apibrėžta smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo apmokestinimo ypatumai ir problemos. • Antroje darbo dalyje išanalizuota mokesčių įtakos ūkio subjektams vertinimo metodai, išskiriama tiesioginių ir netiesioginių mokesčių bei įmokų įtaka įmonės veiklai, pateikiama apmokestinimo įtakos Lietuvos smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo veiklai ir plėtrai tyrimo etapai. • Trečioje dalyje pateikiama mokesčių įtakos smulkaus ir vidutinio verslo ūkio subjektų plėtrai įvertinti modelio adaptavimo rezultatai, nustatyta įmonės veiklos rezultatų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Research objective – effective taxation regulation on business expansion in the Republic of Lithuania. Research purpose – taxation influence on business. Research aim – determine taxation influence on small and medium sizes business development in Lithuania Aims: 1. Determine small and medium business development trends in light of taxation 2. Identify major small and medium business taxation problems. 3. Upon completion of analysis, to present suggestions in the Lithuanian regulation of taxation in order to promote small and medium business development. Research methods: analysis and synthesis of academic literature and taxation regulations, economical – statistical data collection and analysis; data compilation, comparison and graphic depiction methods. Research Results: • The first part of the Thesis presents current state of small and medium business, its development tendencies. It has summarized application of taxation aims and fundamentals on business entities and also summarized small and medium business taxation problems and peculiarities. • The second part of the Thesis has analyzed the valuation methods of taxation effect; direct and indirect taxation on business organization; taxation effect evaluation research stages. • The third part of the Thesis presents the research method application results where it has determined the correlation between business development results and taxation burden and as well the effect in the light of exemptions and... [to full text]