Land and Property Taxation in 25 Countries: A Comparative Review

Every country has some form of tax on land and property. Such taxes have historically been local in most countries (although there are a few exceptions, such as Latvia and Chile, where they are mainly central taxes) and are often important sources of local revenue. One reason is that property is immovable – it is unable to shift location in response to the tax. Another reason is the connection between many of the services typically funded at the local level and the benefit to property values.