January 2015: Does PR Need a Different Consumption Tax?
Much has been said and speculated about the proposal to replace the current sales tax with a new value-added tax. The arguments for and against it have so far filled media outlets, sometimes with contradictory facts and figures. Moreover, the very nature of the VAT makes it a more complicated and technically involved scheme than the current sales tax. As a result, much of the public conversation so far has been clouded with commentaries that contribute very little analysis regarding the practical consequences that the proposed VAT would bring to businesses, individuals, and municipalities. In addition, there are a number of technical issues regarding the implementation of the proposed tax structure that have not been properly addressed yet either. To help bridge this gap, this issue of the Pulse takes an in-depth look at some of the consequences of implementing a VAT in PR. Anticipated consequences range from uncertainty to high inflation to lower than expected fiscal revenues.