U.S. tax burden low and potentially falling: study

The U.S. has one of the lowest tax burdens of any developed country – and President Trump’s tax reform may push that figure even lower, according to research by international accounting network UHY, which studied 34 countries worldwide to calculate how much of each country’s GDP is taken by the government in tax.

According to the findings, the U.S. has a tax burden of 22 percent of gross domestic product, a third lower than the Group of Seven nations’ average of 31.1 percent (the G7 also includes the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan). The U.S. government’s rate of tax take is more on a par with emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

The U.S. government’s tax take is lower than the average global rate of 28.2 percent and lower than the average in Europe (43.3 percent), UHY analysis showed – and could fall further in the coming years as some commentators claim that President Trump’s recent tax plan could trim as much as $2 trillion off U.S. government tax revenues.

“The president’s recent tax cuts … are designed to help sharpen competitive advantage,” said Rick David of UHY Advisors in the U.S. in a statement. “Today, the U.S. tax position is looking compelling for many businesses compared to the rest of the G7. The U.S. government wants to create an environment for businesses to grow and reducing the tax burden will help create a solid foundation for that.”

Generally, European economies dominated the top of UHY’s table of the highest taxes, with an average tax burden of 43.3 percent. Denmark topped the rankings with the government’s tax take representing 53.5 percent of total GDP.

Emerging economies in general have seen much lower levels of government tax take, including many in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations trading bloc, such as Malaysia (16.5 percent) and the Philippines (13.9 percent).

AT-032118-UHY-US tax take

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Tax reform Trump tax plan International taxes
MORE FROM ACCOUNTING TODAY