Taxes and subsidies on products and imports

10.47 Although essentially limited to transactions involving goods and services, the integrated system of price and volume indices does not exclude the possibility of calculating measures of changes in price and volume for certain other transactions. This possibility exists, in particular, in the case of taxes and subsidies directly linked to the quantity or value of the goods and services which are the subject of certain transactions. In the supply and use tables, the values of these are shown explicitly. By applying the rules described below, it is possible to obtain price and volume measures for the categories of taxes and subsidies which are recorded in the goods and services accounts, namely:

  1. taxes on products, excluding VAT (D.212 and D.214);
  2. subsidies on products (D.31);
  3. VAT on products (D.211).

10.48 The simplest case is that of taxes which represent a fixed amount per unit of quantity of the product which is the subject of the transaction. The value of the revenue from such a tax depends upon:

  1. the quantity of products involved in the transaction;
  2. the amount levied per unit, i.e. the taxation price.

The breakdown of the value change into its two components presents virtually no difficulties. The variation in volume is determined by the change in the quantities of products taxed; the price variation corresponds to the change in the amount levied per unit, i.e. to the change in the taxation price.

10.49 A more frequent case is that in which the tax represents a certain percentage of the value of the transaction. The value of the revenue from such a tax then depends upon:

  1. the quantity of products involved in the transaction;
  2. the price of the products involved in the transaction;
  3. the tax rate (as a percentage).

The taxation price is then obtained by applying the rate to the price of the product. The change in value of the revenue from a tax of this type can also be divided into a volume change, determined by the change in the quantities of products taxed, and a price change corresponding to the change in the taxation price (b × c).

10.50 The amount of taxes on products, excluding VAT (D.212 and D.214) is measured in terms of volume by applying to the quantities of products produced or imported the taxation prices of the base year or by applying to the value of output or imports, revalued at the prices of the base year, the tax rates of the base year. Attention has to be paid to the fact that taxation prices may differ among different uses. This is taken into account in the supply and use tables.

10.51 Similarly, the amount of subsidies on products (D.31) is measured in terms of volume by applying to the quantities of products produced or imported the subsidy prices of the base-year or by applying to the value of output or imports, revalued at the prices of the base-year, the rates of subsidy of the base-year, taking into account different subsidy prices for different uses.

10.52 VAT on products (D.211) is, both for the whole economy and for individual industries and other users, calculated on a net basis and refers only to non-deductible VAT. This is defined as the difference between VAT invoiced on the products and VAT deductible by the users of these products. Alternatively, it is also possible to define VAT on products as the sum of all non-deductible amounts which have to be paid by users.

Non-deductible VAT at constant prices can be calculated by applying the VAT rates in force in the base-year to the flows expressed in the prices of the base-year. Any change in the rate of VAT for the current year will therefore be reflected in the price index and not in the volume index of non-deductible VAT.

The fraction of eductible VAT in invoiced VAT and hence non-deductible VAT may change:

  1. either because of a change in the right to deduct VAT, resulting from a change in tax laws or regulations, taking effect with or without a time lag;
  2. or because of changes in the pattern of uses of the product (e.g. increase in the proportion of uses on which VAT may be deducted).

A change in the amount of deductible VAT resulting from a change in the right to deduct VAT will by the method described be treated as a change in the taxation price, as will a change in the rate of invoiced VAT.

On the other hand, a change in the amount of deductible VAT resulting from a change in the pattern of uses of the product constitutes a change in the volume of deductible VAT to be reflected in the index of the volume of VAT on products.