Lithuania

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates would walk the streets of Athens, persistently asking people what concepts like virtue, justice, goodness, and happiness meant. The dialogue would continue until the respondent realized they did not truly know. But what if Socrates were to ask you what responsibility is – would you know how to answer?

The new coalition in Lithuania has made it clear that the aim is to ensure adequate funding for defense and national security. It has promised to reform the second pillar of pension funds as a priority. In addition, it has proposed a tax reform, with a specific component: progressive taxation for higher earners, irrespective of their income.

The key elements of a stable and sustainable pension system are long-term sustainability and the shared responsibility between the citizens and the state for a dignified and well-funded old age. However, the political parties that entered the elections in Lithuania have little regard for the worsening demographic trends.

Just as the protagonist of Shakespeare\'s drama gains the courage to take on justice in the course of the play, too must human agency and responsibility win in each of our inner struggles. This is the only way to ensure the sustainability of the pension system by reducing upward pressure on state benefits and allowing people themselves to recover a larger share of their incomes at a time when there will be no active sources of income at all.

The idea of a 4-day working week has already captured minds in many places around Europe. Like UBI, it is a devilishly sweet temptation that is almost impossible to resist.

The complexity of the advance payment of corporate income tax (CIT) creates administrative burdens for businesses and hinders the path to greater competitiveness. To ensure the stability of the state budget and higher tax revenue collection, the CIT regime was complemented by an advance CIT in the early years of the restoration of Lithuania\'s independence. Companies pay it before profits are earned, thus crediting the State.

The Lithuanian Parliament rejected the president\'s proposal to allow people to withdraw a quarter of their pension savings. However, a similar proposal will be considered in return. Politicians are, of course, inspired only by good motives - the desire for freedom and goodness. But freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility, which is valid every day and even more so in the long run.

Lithuania ranked ninth in the International Tax Competitiveness Index 2023. This country ranked eighth last year and fourth in 2019. Why is it sliding down instead of finally rising up the pedestal? The International Tax Competitiveness Index assesses tax systems on their simplicity, transparency, neutrality - i.e., fairness to specific activities and income levels - and stability.

Who should be taxed, how should they be taxed and what purpose should it serve? These questions are as old as the world. To help answer them, in his 1776 work \"The Wealth of Nations\" the Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith formulated four principles of taxation. According to him, taxes should be proportional to the benefits that a person derives from belonging to society.

Yesterday Lithuanian Free Market Institute celebrated the Tax Freedom day in Lithuania. A person earning an average wage here had to work 4 months and 23 days just to support government spending (and it would be way more if not for inflation). Lithuanian Free Market Institute calculates this with their own tax calculator that also provides a receipt for specific spending.