Theoretical Issues in Energy Taxation

The primary purpose of all forms of taxation, whether on energy or on non-energy items, is to raise money for the government to finance its expenditures. Taxes finance the majority of government expenditure (the rest being financed by borrowing, which will have to be repaid from future taxation) so that the general level of taxation is determined by the requirements for government spending. However, the same total revenue can be raised by many different combinations of taxes, so that the tax rates on individual items and groups of items can be adjusted to reflect other criteria. (more…)