Translating Tax Policy into Law

Provides a key point of reference on the theory and practice of translating tax policy into law.

This book provides a key point of reference on the translation of tax policy into legislation and other legal norms.

There is a great deal of frustration about how this takes place at present. Thousands of hours are spent on fundamental reviews of tax law yet very little seems to change. There are points of systematic resistance to tax law reform. Tax legislation is prone to misjudgements and sometimes even mistakes. Systems of democratic and expert scrutiny leave much to be desired. There are also concerns about undue influence, and bad decisions can create path dependencies that are difficult to escape.

These matters are explored in detail in this book by an inspiring cast of established and early-career researchers from various jurisdictions. The authors have entered into dialogues about what it means to translate tax policy into law, who is and who should be responsible, how things work in different legal systems, and whether existing approaches could be improved.

The book is accessible to those new to taxation and legislative processes as well as to experts, and is recommended for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.