Reforms of Tax System in Vietnam: Toward International Integration Commitments Until 2020

Abstract

Vietnam’s taxation system has undergone fundamental reforms since 1990s. Tax reform program of the 2000-2010 period is released successfully, putting in place a tax system that meets the requirements of a market economy and necessary legal conditions for accession to the World Trade Organization. The Vietnamese Prime Minister ratified a tax system reform strategy for 2010-2020 with ambitious targets for renewing the tax system, accelerating reforms of tax administration and sharpening the competitiveness of domestic enterprises. Based on the framework of taxation theories and international tax reform experience, the present study finds that results of tax reform in Vietnam have been mixed. Tax structure in Vietnam has been evolved from an initial situation of high reliance on production and trade taxes, to greater reliance on taxes on consumption. By 2020, there are several challenges of tax reforms, which Vietnam needs to overcome, namely reform of tax structure to create a broad based tax system, tax administration to global standards with simpler administrative procedures, the long-term to harmonize tax system grounds between ASEAN members.

Keywords: Tax reform; international integration; tax competition and harmonization