Value Added Tax

Alan Schenk teaches VAT at Wayne State University and other universities such as Harvard University and University of Michigan Law School. For the past seven years, Professor Schenk has served as Technical Advisor for the International Monetary Fund, drafting and reviewing legislative proposals for sales and value added tax for several countries in Africa and for emerging economies of Eastern Europe. He is the author of four books and has published many articles on VAT including several involving the taxation of financial services. Oliver Oldman is Learned Hand Professor of Law, Emeritus, at the Harvard Law School and for 25 years until July 1989, he was the Director of the School's International Tax Program. He has been a member of the Law School Faculty since 1955 when he began directing the Tax Program's training activities and was appointed Professor of Law in 1961. He became Director of the International Tax Program in 1964, a post he relinquished in 1989 to become Senior Fellow and Advisor of ITP. For 10 years until July 1990 he was also Director of the School's program in East Asian Legal Studies, where he currently serves as Senior Fellow and Advisor. In 1993, he became Emeritus but continues to teach part-time.

1. Survey of taxes on consumption and income and introduction to Value Added Tax; Appendix A to chapter 1 - development taxation; 2. Forms of consumption-based taxes and altering the tax base; 3. Varieties of VAT in use; 4. Registration, taxpayer, and taxable business activity; 5. Taxable supplies of goods and services and tax invoices; 6. The Tax Credit mechanism; 7. Introduction to cross-border aspects of VAT; 8. Timing and valuation rules; 9. Zero rating and exemptions and government entities and non-profit organizations; 10. Gambling and financial services (other than insurance); 11. Insurance; 12. Inter-jurisdictional aspects of VAT in federal countries and common markets; 13. Real property; 14. Proposals for US tax on consumption; Appendices.