Property tax reform in developing and transition countries

It begins with a discussion of the conventional wisdom about the advantages of using the property tax, and of the reasons why this conventional wisdom does not necessarily travel well to the developing country setting. This discussion is important to understanding the constraints to successful reform. Second, it explores the variation in the revenue performance and the look for patterns that might explain why some countries do better than others. Third, it turns to practice: the rate and base structures, and the administrative practice. It concludes with a discussion of "best practices" and how these might move the property tax closer to realizing its revenue potential. (Author abstract, modified)