Ligi Sets Sights on New Tax Reform
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi, who has seen a number of his recent tax reform initiatives shot down by his own coalition, said he has new ideas for far-fetching tax reforms.
Speaking to Maaleht today, Ligi said he will not reveal the details just yet, but added that the current tax system's biggest problem is high labor taxes, and that topic will be tackled.
Citing Portugal as a positive example, Ligi said that in the future, all transactions, no matter how small, and whether by businesses or individuals, will be accounted, and Estonia's IT-infrastructure will make that process painless.
He said he would like to continue in the new government, adding that he would like to be the minister who evaluates the true cost, both initial price and long-term, of political promises made by his and other political parties.
Ligi was recently named the nemesis of taxpayers in 2013 by the Estonian Taxpayers Association, who said his ideas had the right intention, but the presentation was unacceptable, pointing to the minister's arrogant manner and offensive outbursts.
Among the ideas rejected by the coalition, the opposition MPs and President Toomas Hendrik Ilves was a crackdown on VAT exemptions on company vehicles used for private purposes and a requirement for businesses to register all transactions worth 1,000 euros or more.