Tax policy is a complex structure phenomenon. Even at the level of definition of this term, discussions arise among experts. What are the specifics of implementing tax policy at enterprises, as well as within the framework of activities of state authorities? What are the features of the Russian model of building a system of taxes and fees?
The essence of tax policy
What is a tax policy? According to a common point of view, this phenomenon can be considered an integral part of another, more ambitious direction of state activity. Namely - financial policy. This usually refers to a set of measures implemented by political institutions and aimed at obtaining and subsequent effective use of financial resources. The term “tax policy” can be used not only in the context of state activity.
The corresponding type of activity can be defined as part of a business development strategy aimed, as an option, at optimizing the deduction of tax payments from revenue. True, as many researchers note, in this context the term in question is not quite correct to use from the point of view that an enterprise cannot be a subject of tax policy. However, in an informal manner, the corresponding direction of the company’s activity in some cases is called consonantly with the studied term.
How can the definition of the term "tax policy" sound? The wording in the Russian expert community is widespread, according to which the phenomenon in question can be understood as the activity of state and municipal authorities aimed at ensuring the correct and timely collection of tax payments from entities that are required by law to make them. The purpose of tax collection is to replenish the budget at one level or another (if we talk about the Russian model - state, regional or municipal). In turn, the distribution of received cash resources is usually the responsibility of political entities within other areas of financial policy.
Private or public sector?
We noted above that the concept of tax policy can be associated not only with the activities of state bodies, but also with the activities of various subjects of legal relations that are not related to political institutions. Many experts believe that the term in question can be interpreted in the context of the activities of any entities that are somehow related to taxes.
However, the enterprises in this case will most likely be the objects of the corresponding administrative influence by the authorities, that is, the taxpayers, and the state and municipal bodies - the subjects, those who legally charge the corresponding fees to the treasury. The term "tax policy of enterprises", in fact, is correct, however, it is disputed by experts who cite the above arguments. That is, politics as an activity should be carried out primarily by an institution that claims to be subjective, analysts say.
Thus, many lawyers believe that tax policy is generally the prerogative of the state (or other administrative and political entities - municipalities, parts of the federation, etc.).Moreover, as we noted above, it is being implemented as part of a wider area of activity of the authorities - financial policy. Apart from, in fact, the activities of political institutions in the field of taxes, there are a large number of other areas that one way or another enter the financial sector of public administration. What are these areas?
Tax policy and related areas
First of all, this is fiscal policy. Its main feature is the activity of state institutions involved in relevant processes. It is aimed, firstly, at stimulating the growth of budget revenues, and secondly, at creating conditions for their effective use. The financial policy also includes customs. This is due to the fact that a significant amount of financial flows controlled by the state is formed precisely at the state border - as a result of the collection of various fees and duties. State tax policy also coexists with the monetary direction of political institutions. Here we are talking about activities in the framework of which the national currency is issued, the banking sector is managed, credit issues, reserves formation, etc. are addressed. There is also a tax accounting policy. It can be noted that many experts attribute the activity corresponding to it to those that are characteristic of exactly the same for subjects of legal relations that are not related to political institutions. This type of activity is the prerogative of businesses that are faced with the task of correctly calculating fees and controlling their timely payment to the state treasury.
The importance of tax policy
The tax policy of the state can have a strong influence on the national model of economic development. This can be traced in several aspects at once. Firstly, the budgetary capabilities of the state depend on how efficient the collection of taxes will be, and therefore the ability of the authorities to fulfill their obligations, especially of a social nature. Secondly, by regulating the magnitude of certain taxes, introducing any of them or, conversely, repealing, the state to a large extent determines the dynamics of the development of the national entrepreneurial sphere and creates the conditions for its investment attractiveness. Some experts believe that the tax policy of the state is, in fact, a constant search for a compromise between the two marked principles. That is, on the one hand, the government wants to fulfill its budgetary obligations, on the other hand, to provide comfortable business conditions for taxpayers.
Tax policy objectives
The fulfillment of social tasks is not the only goal that is determined by the fiscal policy pursued by the state. There are others. Among the most important from the point of view of maintaining the sovereignty of the country is the financing of sufficient amounts of the national armed forces, law enforcement agencies and other executive institutions, important in terms of the quality of political governance of the state. Resources for replenishing the budget in the required volumes are needed by the state in terms of addressing priority tasks in the international arena. If the tax policy instruments used by the authorities are sufficiently effective, then the country's monetary authorities are less likely to depend on foreign creditors. A sovereign budget is one of the key conditions for building a successful, independent state.
Directions of work within the framework of tax policy
What kind of areas of work of the authorities is characterized by tax financial policy? If we talk about the specifics of the Russian model, we can distinguish the following spectrum:
- improving the national tax collection mechanism governing its legal system in order to optimize the dynamics of revenue collection to the treasury;
- monitoring the quality of implementation of key points of the state strategy in the field of tax collection;
- rationalization of administrative measures in the field of taxation;
- competent debt restructuring at the level of state lending mechanisms, as well as in the field of budget relations;
- rational distribution of funds within the framework of budgetary relations;
At the same time, in order to solve the tasks corresponding to these areas of activity of political institutions, both legislative mechanisms and executive mechanisms are involved in a balance that is optimal from the point of view of process control and the effectiveness of the functioning of institutions.
Tax policy structure
What are the main directions of tax policy in modern states? What is the structure of the considered line of activity of political management institutions? Experts identify three main components of tax policy.
Firstly, this is a conceptual study of the key elements of the state’s strategy in collecting payments to the treasury. In the framework of this area of activity, scientific tools are often used, the results of studying the objective laws of the development of the country's economy, and the features of building social communications are used.
Secondly, this is the definition of optimal income distribution mechanisms based on the necessary priorities in financing certain sectors of the state’s economy, as well as the specifics of the international and domestic political situation.
Thirdly, this is practical legislative, executive, and in some cases also judicial activities of state authorities, based on the work carried out within the first two areas of activity of political institutions.
Criteria for the effectiveness of tax policy
What are the criteria for the effectiveness of the state tax policy? There is a very diverse range of opinions of researchers on this subject. Some experts believe that the main criterion is the ability of the state to provide financial sovereignty, which we discussed above. Which directly affects independence in solving political problems. Thus, if the current areas of tax policy are structured in such a way that the country does not experience problems with repaying external debt or even dispenses with international loans, this means that the corresponding direction of the state’s activity is being implemented effectively.
There is a point of view according to which the quality of tax policy is determined by a set of certain macroeconomic indicators, such as, for example, the country's GDP growth, increase in the trade balance, the appreciation of the national currency, etc. Experts who consider these criteria to be paramount argue their point view by the fact that macroeconomic indicators are a sufficiently clear indicator of the effectiveness of the entire financial system of the state, the most important part of which is tax policy.
There are analysts who consider the key criterion the degree of well-being of society. At the same time, it can be assessed in different ways: by comparing it with certain indicators in foreign countries (for example, on the basis of the purchasing power of the average salary), exploring, for example, public opinion using opinion polls. It is quite possible that the population, having objectively modest financial opportunities, nevertheless considers that the model of economic development proposed by the authorities is acceptable.
Tax mechanism
The tax policy of an enterprise (if it is agreed that this term is fully applicable to the activities of entities outside the public sphere) or political institutions, one way or another, is based on a set of certain principles, which, in turn, become part of the tax mechanism in the functioning of which participation is a direct subject of financial relations. What are its characteristics and features?
The tax mechanism implemented at the level of the national economy, the economic system of a region, municipality or an individual enterprise is a set of methods by which this or that subject of legal relations in the financial sphere achieves its goals. For the state this is an increase in taxes (not to the detriment of the interests of business), for enterprises - a decrease in fees (without negative impact on the budget). The main elements of the mechanism in question are planning, regulation, and also control.
The tax policy of the organization in the planning aspect involves the construction of a forecasting system for the deductions necessary for a particular enterprise, due to legislative requirements or the objective course of economic processes at the level of a national, regional or sectoral economic system. In turn, the state, in principle, uses the same method - making forecasts, but acts as the subject of tax collection. Planning can be either operational, ongoing or strategic.
Tax regulation is a type of activity, which, in turn, is characteristic only of government bodies involved in financial management processes. By law, an enterprise cannot be a subject of this type of activity. The key principles of tax regulation, which can be considered the prerogative of the state, are the validity, expediency, and also the priority of the balance of interests of various subjects of legal relations.
Tax control, in turn, can be carried out both by enterprises and by the state. Moreover, businesses can be either a subject or an object of appropriate control. In the first case, the tax policy of the enterprise involves monitoring the structures responsible for the correct calculation and timely payment of fees to the treasury, in the second - possible checks by state bodies. In turn, political institutions in the general case are subjects of tax control, checking how, in particular, the level of payment discipline of the same enterprises is high in terms of transferring the necessary fees to the treasury.
Russian model of tax policy
What features characterize the tax policy of Russia? Opinions of experts on this subject are very different. It can be noted that the tax policy of the Russian Federation actually has an official status: federal laws are being issued, in the provisions of which certain indicators are specified in specific figures that characterize the priorities of the state in organizing fees for the treasury. However, the subject of discussion is the interpretation of these figures.
There are experts who believe that the modern tax policy of Russia is built in a fairly balanced manner. In particular, the rates for the revenue of organizations are lower than in many Western countries. There are preferential tax regimes - “simplified”, patent system, UTII. An important achievement of the Russian authorities, analysts consider the built-in system of deductions of federal and regional taxes in favor of municipalities within the framework of the standards reflected in the Budget Code of the Russian Federation. This eliminates the inequality of regions and cities in terms of resources for economic development. The unity of the budget system, therefore, is assessed as a positive factor in terms of increasing the effectiveness of the tax policy of the state.
If you characterize the Russian model of tax policy in the framework of a very simple scheme, then it works like this. Charges to the treasury of the Russian Federation are divided into federal, regional and municipal. They are paid in the general case in order to finance expenses at the appropriate budget levels. In Russia, several types of taxes have been adopted at once. They can be classified into several main groups:
- income (income taxes);
- property;
- duties;
- excises and fees;
At the same time, within each group a rather large number of very dissimilar fees may be present. So, for example, there is income tax for individuals - personal income tax, which is 13%. There is a fee levied on the profits of enterprises - 20%. There is a tax that is calculated under the simplified scheme - 6% of revenue or 15% of net profit.
There are social fees - pension, sent to the FIU, as well as contributions to the FSS or MHIF. They are calculated on the basis of the amount of remuneration for staff working in organizations, or as fixed values for individual entrepreneurs. A number of mechanisms are also provided, within which it is possible to offset certain types of taxes upon payment of other fees. The law also provides for various scenarios for taxpayers returning excessively paid amounts to the state treasury.
There are experts who believe that the tax policy of the Russian Federation is far from balanced and requires modernization - albeit not urgent, but feasible in the foreseeable future. The fact is that, according to analysts, the volume of social tasks that the state has taken on is hardly feasible with the current tax collection system.
This is expressed, in particular, in the fact that the actual the tax burden enterprises nominally, perhaps not the most voluminous, is complemented by a wide range of social obligations. So, for example, Russian enterprises must give a significant amount of funds from employee remuneration funds to contributions to the PFR, FSS and MHIF. Also, as the researchers believe, in the Russian Federation it would be nice to introduce a progressive model of tax collection, as is organized in many countries of the world. In this case, it is advisable, analysts believe, to introduce a revenue threshold that is not taxed - this could stimulate entrepreneurship.
