Will the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) enhance stability?
Will the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) enhance stability?

Author(s): Emrah Arbak
Subject(s): Economic policy, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, Fiscal Politics / Budgeting
Published by: CEPS Centre for European Policy Studies
Keywords: EU; economic policy; taxes; FTT; tax revenues; financial stability contribution;
Summary/Abstract: In all likelihood, the European Commission’s proposed tax on financial services, the financial transactions tax (FTT), will raise size-able tax revenues, which explains its political appeal in the current context. However, the tax fails to address the key factors that contributed to the global financial crisis. Short of global or even EU-wide cooperation, many of the transactions subject to a tax will relocate to non-cooperating countries, thereby reducing revenue prospects and the effectiveness of supervision. Moreover, the proposal fails to address the growth of leverage, systemic risks, or the moral hazard risks arising from ‘too-big-to-fail’ or ‘too-systemic-to-fail’ institutions. Even if it becomes a reality, the proposal should not undermine the chances of more meaningful tax policy alternatives being implemented in the future.

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