Main Article Content

Abstract

Harmonizing corporate income tax (CIT) is spotlighted in economic integration debates. These debates have reached no consensus regarding the best CIT system to be adopted in various economic integrations, including the African Union (AU). This study aimed to determine the best tax system for CIT harmonisation in the AU. The study adopted a qualitative research method by collecting data through interviews. The study used purposive sampling to identify 30 participants drawn from the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and large international accounting firms, namely KPMG, PWC and Deloitte. The study revealed that a new system called the Africa hybrid tax system or the Africa blended tax system should be implemented for effective and efficient CIT harmonisation in the AU. This system should address the shortcomings of both the classical and the imputation tax systems. The study recommended that technology and adequate resources are crucial for successfully implementing the African hybrid tax system. Therefore, member states should jointly invest in technology and resources to facilitate the implementation of the African hybrid tax system for CIT harmonisation in the AU.

Keywords

Corporate income tax, tax harmonisation, classical tax system, imputation tax system, African Union

Article Details

How to Cite
Chiromo, S. J., & Schutte, D. (2025). Evaluating an Optimal Corporate Income Tax System for Harmonization in the African Union. Ilomata International Journal of Tax and Accounting, 5(3), 952 - 969. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijtc.v5i3.1522

References

  1. Adelakun, B.O., Nembe, J.K., Oguejiofor, B.B., Akpuokwe, C.U., & Bakare, S.S. 2024. Legal frameworks and tax compliance in the digital economy: A finance perspective. Engineering Science & Technology Journal, 5 (3): 844-853.
  2. African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF). (2020). 4th high-level tax policy dialogue: a collaboration between the African tax administration forum and the African Union Commission. Taxing rights for Africa in the new world & effects of COVID-19: the role of tax policymakers & tax administrators. https://www.ataftax.org/4th-high-level-tax-policy-dialogue-a-collaboration-between-the-african-tax-administration-forum-and-the-african-union-commission.
  3. Alworth, J. (1998). Taxation and integrated financial markets: the challenges of derivatives and other financial innovations. International Tax and Public Finance, (5), 507–34.
  4. Asiedu, E. (2002). On the determinants of foreign direct investment to developing Countries: Is Africa different? World Development, 30 (1), 107-119.
  5. Auxiliar, F. (2005). Corporation Tax systems in the EU. Instituto Superior de Genstao. https://www.isg.pt/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2_5_Teixeira-Gloria-2000-Corporation-tax-systems-in-the-EU-ISG-Revista-Fiscalidade-no-2.pdf.
  6. Banderlipe, M.S. (2015). Towards a coordinated taxation policy in an integrated ASEAN Regime. Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, 15 (2), 176-186.
  7. Bett, J.K. (2016). Income tax in the East African Community: A case for harmonising and consolidating policy and law focusing on corporate income taxation. University of Nairobi (PhD Thesis). Available at https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/97629
  8. Boadway, R., & Bruce, N. (1992). Problems with integrating corporate and personal income taxes in an open economy. Journal of Public Economics, 48, 39-66.
  9. Bond, S., Chennells, L., Michael, D., Malcolm, G., & Edward, T. (2000). Corporate tax harmonisation in Europe: A guide to the debate, IFS Report, No. R63, ISBN 978-1-87335-796-5. Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), London.
  10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1920/re.ifs.2000.0063.
  11. Bulgac, C. (2024). Investment income-regulations in national and international tax legislation. ACROSS, 3 (8): 5-18.
  12. Bruce-Twum, E., Schutte, D. & Nicholas, A. (2022). Determinants of tax compliance costs of small and medium enterprises in emerging economies: Evidence from Ghana. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 6 (1): 1-8.
  13. Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2014). Research Methodology: Business and Management Contexts. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd.
  14. Chen, D., Qi, S., & Schlagenhauf, D. (2018). Corporate income tax, legal form of organization, and employment. American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, 10 (4), 270-304.
  15. Chiromo, S.J. (2020). A critical analysis of the South African turnover tax System. Master’s thesis-Rhode University. https://commons.ru.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Repository?view=null&f0=sm_identifier%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fhdl.handle.net%2F10962%2F166103%22&sort=null
  16. Christensen, R.C., 2024. Harnessing network power: Weaponised interdependence in global tax policy. Global Policy. DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.13456.
  17. Cnossen, S. (2017). Corporation taxes in the European Union: Slowly moving toward comprehensive business income taxation? International Tax and Public Finance, 25 (3), 808-840.
  18. Conconi, P., Perroni, C., & Riezman, R. (2008). Is partial tax harmonisation desirable? Journal of Public Economics, (92), 254–267.
  19. Davis Tax Committee (DTC). (2018). Report on the efficiency of South Africa's corporate income tax system. https://www.taxcom.org.za/docs/20180411%20Final%20DTC%20CIT%20Report%20-%20to%20Minister.pdf.
  20. De Mooij. R., Klemm, A & Perry, V. (2021). Corporate Income Taxes under Pressure : Why reform Is needed and how it could be designed. Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund. https://www.elibrary.imf.org/display/book/9781513511771/9781513511771.xml?code=imf.org.
  21. Devereux, M. P., & Sørensen, P. B. (2006). The Corporate income tax: international trends and options for fundamental reform. Economic paper. https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/pages/publication530_en.pdf.
  22. Dharmapala, D. (2016). The economics of corporate and business tax reform. Coase-Sandor. Working Paper Series in Law and Economics, No. 757. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2478&context=law_and_economics.
  23. Etter-Phoya, R., & Mukumba, C. (2021). Africa and the corrosive international tax system. Tax Justice Network. https://taxjustice.net/2021/05/18/africa-and-the-corrosive-international-tax-system/
  24. European Court of Justice (ECJ), 7 September 2004, Case C-319/02, Manninen, ECR I-7215.
  25. Garbarino, C. (2020). Harmonisation and coordination of corporate taxes in the EU. Bocconi Legal Studies Research Paper No. 3713087. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3713087.
  26. Gastanaga, V., Nugent, J. B., & Pashamova, B. (1998). Host country reforms and FDI inflows: How much difference do they make? World Development, 26 (7), 1299-1314.
  27. Graham, E., & Bamba, M. (2020). ‘Do Sub-Saharan African Countries Need a Home-Grown Tax System?’. World Bank Blog. https://blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/do-sub-saharanafrican-countries-need-home-grown-tax-system.
  28. Gray, D. (2014). Doing research in the real world. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
  29. Hakelberg, L. (2024). Forced exit from the joint-decision trap: US power and the harmonisation of company taxation in the EU. Journal of European Public Policy, 1-25.
  30. Hansson, A., & Olofsdotter, K. (2010). Tax differences and foreign direct investment in the EU27. Lund University Sweden. https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/259981/1/wp2010-003.pdf.
  31. Igbinenikaro, E., & Adewusi, O.A. (2024). Tax havens reexamined: the impact of global digital tax reforms on international taxation. World Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 5 (2), 1-12.
  32. Kari, S., & Ylä-Liedenpohja, J. (2002). Classical corporation tax as a global means of tax harmoniszation. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/153491668.pdf
  33. Kireyev, A.P. (2016). Building Integrated Economies in West Africa: Lessons in Managing Growth, Inclusiveness, and Volatility. IMF publications. http://www.elibrary.imf.org/fileasset/misc/excerpts/waemu_integrated_excerpt.pdf
  34. Kovacs, G., & Spens, K.M. (2005). Abductive reasoning in logistics research. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 35 (2), 132-144.
  35. Lesage, D., Lips, W., Moskowitz, E.J., & Waris, A. 2024. Regional tax governance. In Handbook of Regional Cooperation and Integration (pp. 223-242). Edward Elgar Publishing.
  36. Madyo, M.R. (2008). The importance of regional economic integration in Africa. University of South Africa (Master’s degree dissertation). https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/2075/dissertation.pdf
  37. McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2006). Education research: Evidence-based inquiry. 6th edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
  38. Navarro, A. (2024). The EU as a tax harmonisation catalyser – Triumphs and challenges within an Asymmetric Cooperation Model. Working Paper no. 2024–04 of the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4898403 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4898403.
  39. Nembe, J.K., & Idemudia, C. (2024). Designing effective policies to address the challenges of global digital tax reforms. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 22 (3):1171-1183.
  40. Neuman, W.L. (2011). Social research methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 7th Edition, Pearson, Boston.
  41. Osterloh, S., & Heinemann, F. (2013). The political economy of corporate tax harmonisation — Why do European politicians (dis)like minimum tax rates? European Journal of Political Economy, (29), 18–37.
  42. Quak, E. (2018). Tax coordination and tax harmonisation within the regional economic communities in Africa. K4D Helpdesk Report. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b18f76c40f0b634cfb505ce/Tax_Coordination_within_Regional_Economic_Communities_Africa.pdf
  43. Richman, R.L., Richman, J.T., & Richman, H.B. (2020). Corporate tax integration in light of falling corporate tax rates: Using the 1803 British System for Withholding Taxes on Corporate Income as a Model. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 12 (12), 36-46.
  44. Saavedra, F.R. (2020). Tax system: integrated or disintegrated? Inter American Center of Tax Administrations. https://www.ciat.org/ciatblog-sistema-tributario-integrado-o-desintegrado/?lang=en
  45. Scherleitner, M., & Traversa, E. (2024). Involving the corporate sector in EU financing–A Two-Tier Model for a corporate income tax based own resource. European Law Review.
  46. Schutte, D. & Van der Zwan, P. 2019. Turnover tax relief in South Africa: Evidence from the SARS-NT Panel. Advances in Taxation, 26: 135-148.
  47. Sting, A. (2014). Company tax integration in the European Union during economic crisis – Why and How? Erasmus Law Review, 1: 39-49.
  48. Stojkova, A.M., & Kjoseva, E.N. (2024). Macedonian tax legislation coping with the EU integration: reforming processes. Iustinianus Primus Law Review, 15 (1).
  49. Sudsawasd, S., & Mongsawad, P. (2011). Tax policy harmonisation and FDI: An empirical assessment. International conference on applied economics, ICOAE 2011. http://dspace.wunu.edu.ua/bitstream/316497/31559/1/Sudsawasd.pdf.
  50. Sugiyono. (2019). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D (2th Edition). CV. Alfabeta.
  51. Tax Justice Network-Africa & ActionAid International. (2012). Tax competition in East Africa: A race to the bottom? [Online]. https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?RID=355338947.
  52. Tredoux, L., & Van der Linde, K. (2021). The corporate tax structure in South Africa: an overview of alternative design options. Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg, (4), 656-687.
  53. Uyioghosa, O., & Igbinosa, O.I. (2023). Comparative Analysis of Tax Harmonization in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU) and European Union (EU). African Development Finance Journal, 5 (3), 19-41.
  54. Van Ganzen, B.N. (2024). Progressing regressively: conditional convergence and Europeanisation of tax mixes. Journal of European Integration, DOI: 10.1080/07036337.2024.2374575.
  55. Weichenrieder, A.J. (2005). Why do we need corporate taxation? CESifo Working Paper, 1495. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=759486.