Should legal fictions pay taxes?
Most economists would agree that for this reason companies never really pay tax at all. So my question is why do we keep pretending that they do? [...]
Economics
Study debunks inequality myth
Two Danish economists show economic growth and reform, not redistribution, is the best way to reduce income disparities. [...]
Friday’s Top 10
Reflections on going to France if you want to work less, Don Brash's take on monetary policy when inflation won't budge, the economics of love, Vietnam's openness to the free market & more. [...]
Property rights at the beach
Solving public issues through private initiative and civic-mindedness, property rights and freedom of contract the New Zealand way. [...]
A safe bet on next global crisis
It is not as if any new books were required to remind us of the fragile state of the world economy. Recent economic news on a number of fronts have been disturbing. [...]
Incentives trump all else
Imagine if both local and central government tax revenues reflected economic performance more directly. Under such a system, we would see a different attitude of local communities to a range of activities from mining to housing. [...]
The Pope and the market
Contrary to what Pope Francis believes, markets are not about increasing individual profits but about allocating scarce resources. And then they effectively deal with those environmental problems that the pontiff can only preach about. [...]
Friday’s Top 10
Our dangerous spreadsheet culture, new Greek demands, things too small to regulate and advice on putting spin on your life: That was the week that was. [...]
The economics of Christmas
Stock markets used to be more buoyant just before Christmas, but that effect has been in decline in most capital markets – except for New Zealand. [...]
Why abolishing cash is not on the money
Kenneth Rogoff may be a good economist but he ignores something quite fundamental about the role of money. Cash may no longer be king, but it is a little piece of freedom we carry in our wallets. [...]