经济学人下载:英国2011年财政预算,束手束脚

Taxing the flush to help out the hard-pressed was a theme. The ??1 billion or so that will be raised by stopping businesses paying high earners in ways that sidestep income tax will be used to increase the personal tax-free allowance next year by a further ??630, to ??8,105, shielding more low-paid workers from tax. The revenue raised from an increase in the levy on bank assets will be used to fund a ??250m scheme in which the government will take an equity stake alongside house builders in newly built homes. The aim of the scheme is to bridge the gap between what homebuyers can offer as a deposit and what mortgage-lenders demand. Billed as support for first-time buyers, it is likely to help the depressed construction industry more.

拆东补西是此预算方案改革的主旋律。在预案中奥斯本将宣布一系列打击高收入者避税行为的措施，可能每年为政府带来10亿英镑的额外收入，此收入将在下一年用来进一步调高个税起征点630英镑，使起征额达到8105英镑，这将保护低收入人群，增加其净收入。政府将在建筑商新建住宅中提取一定所有权，以此向银行收取资产税，预计可收入2.5亿英镑，以此补贴首次购买新建住房者的贷款优惠，将严格区分出首次买房者的抵押需求和按揭贷款的需求。此政策支持首次置业者，并很可能帮助改善建筑业不景气的局面。

This sort of mild populism is mostly harmless—and understandable given the scale of the pre-announced spending cuts and tax increases that begin next month. But Mr Osborne had bigger ambitions for his package of measures. “Today’s budget is about reforming the nation’s economy,” he declared. “Britain has lost ground in the world economy and needs to catch up.”

这种温和的政策大部分是无害，会前宣布的削减开支规模以及宣布下月实施的增加税收方案亦是被公众所接受的。但奥斯本先生对整套措施信誓旦旦 “今天的预算案是为了改革国家的经济体制。”他宣称 “英国已经失去了在世界经济中的应有地位，我们必须要迎头赶上。”

The chancellor’s biggest anxiety is that Britain is no longer seen as a first choice for international businesses looking for a European base. To address this, he used what little money he could find to accelerate the cuts in business taxes announced in his first budget. The main corporate-tax rate will be cut by an extra percentage point in 2011-12 (from 28% to 26%), with further reductions bringing it to 23% by 2014-15. There will be more favourable tax treatment of the foreign earnings of British-based businesses, to help persuade footloose firms to stay.

财政大臣最大的担忧是，一些公司在欧洲拓展国际业务时，英国已经不再是首选之地。为了解决这个问题，他在第一财政预算案中尽可能加速削减了商业税。在2011-12年度企业营业税将从28%降至26%，比之前政府承诺的1%多降了一个百分点，到2014-15年度将进一步降低到23％。并将进一步对在英经营的外资公司出台更多的优惠政策，以鼓励他们长期在英发展。

It seems to be working: WPP, an advertising firm that moved to Dublin in 2008, has indicated it will return. On personal tax, Mr Osborne said that the 50% tax rate on incomes above ??150,000 a year “would do lasting damage” to the economy if it became permanent. He gave no timetable for its abolition but said he would ask Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs to assess how much money it actually raises.

此政策似乎有点作用：WPP广告公司，2008年迁移到都柏林，近期表示将返回英国经营。在所得税上，奥斯本说，15万英镑以上公司收入缴50％税如果成为长久政策，将会“持续损害”经济发展。他并没有给出废止该税率的时间表，但他说将要求英国税务及海关来评估废止的作用，以及将会给国家财政带来的利益。

The budget’s pro-enterprise message was strengthened by the extension of (fairly inexpensive) tax breaks for capital directed at new businesses. A three-year moratorium on new business regulations is promised for start-ups and firms with fewer than ten workers. Britain’s strict rules on development of new buildings will be relaxed; there will be extra perks in 21 new designated enterprise zones (see article). The chancellor also set aside ??275m to help improve the skills of young workers, by funding 80,000 work-experience placements, 50,000 new apprenticeships and extra investment in technical colleges.

预算加大了新办企业的税收优惠力度，主要是延长了新注册企业税收优惠政策（可以说相当便宜的运营）。一个新办并员工人数少于10人的公司可享受三年免税待遇。英国原来对新新建筑物严格规定也会放宽。有21个新办企业园区将得到额外补贴（见相关报道）财政大臣还拨款2.75亿英镑来帮助提高年轻工人的技能，其中包括资助提供8万个工作岗位和5万个实习岗位，并在技术学校加大额外投资。

These initiatives are unlikely to transform the economy. But their thrust is laudable. The cuts to corporate taxes sent the right signals, as did Mr Osborne’s invocation of Nigel Lawson, a tax-reforming chancellor of the 1980s.

这些刺激措施虽不能扭转经济大局，但它的主旨是值得嘉扬的。减免公司税赋释放了正面的讯息。在90年代的财政大臣奈杰尔劳森也采取了类似的做法。