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The paper is aimed on lifelong learning of the adult population and assessment of the influence of selected determinants on participation in lifelong learning within the European Union Member States. Governments invest in education to help foster the economic growth, enhance the productivity, contribute to the personal and social development or reduce social inequality. A lack of skills strengthens the risk of unemployment and the differences in skills have an impact on earnings. Higher levels of educational achievement are associated with better health, more social engagement and higher employment rates. The results indicate that the estimated values of selected parameters have a positive effect on adult participation in lifelong learning as expected. In conclusion, we can state that among the examined variables the expenditures on research and development in the higher education sector had the greatest influence on adult participation in lifelong learning. The positive impact of selected determinants on adult participation in lifelong learning creates preconditions for the implementation of tax incentives to national taxation systems and their successful and efficient functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of VAT revenue in the Slovak Republic depends on its macroeconomic base, which is mainly affected by the final consumption of households. In the Slovak Republic, the final consumption of households accounts for more than a half of GDP. Since 1993, VAT revenue has been increasing on a year-to-year basis from 911 million euros to 5.5 billion euros in 2015, except 2009 when there was a sharp decline due to the crisis. In this period, the VAT share in total tax revenue of the state budget increased from 30 % to almost 52 % in 2015. The aim of the paper is to outline the VAT revenue development in the Slovak Republic and identify statistically significant variables that have an impact on VAT revenue and assess the extent to which this yield is affected using a simple regression analysis. The factors that directly affect the development of value added tax revenue involve the final consumption of households and effective VAT rate. At the same time, we examined the relationship between the development of VAT revenue and the development of basic macroeconomic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tax avoidance and tax evasion significantly affect public budget revenues as well as the redistributive goals of the state. The rate of the shadow economy varies across EU Member States. Any attempt to measure this social phenomenon is full of empirical difficulties. By methods to determine the size of the shadow economy we can only estimate the tax gap that quantifies the extent of tax evasion. In this paper we deal with one of the methods of monetary measurement of the tax gap - money demand method. We are analyzing the results achieved for the euro area for the time period 2002 - 2015. From the outputs can be estimated not only the size of the tax gap in the euro area countries, but also we can evaluate the effectiveness of measures and recommendations of the European Commission which are aimed at combating tax evasion and tax fraud. For monitoring the research problems were mainly used methods of observation, comparison, and also mathematical and statistical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest tax evasion that significantly affects public finance deficit in Slovakia is associated with value added tax. A success of fiscal consolidation and its sustainability will largely depend on increasing the efficiency of value added tax system and reducing VAT revenue losses. While in 2005 the total VAT revenue losses in Slovakia amounted to 1.7 % of GDP, in 2011 they reached 4 % of GDP which is the annual shortfall in tax revenues of 2.7 billion euros. Taking into account the estimated VAT revenue losses as well as the results of tax audits, the tax authorities in Slovakia identified only 18 % of tax evasion. So there is 80 % probability of not detecting tax evasion relating to VAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the competitiveness of the economy is becoming an important part of evaluating not only the national economy but also the entire economic groupings. In general, the prevailing view is that the competitiveness of the state is influenced primarily by the so called non-tax factors, which might include, in particular, the stability of the macroeconomic environment, law enforcement, construction of infrastructure, educational level of the population, and the like. Also rate of the tax burden, measured by various indicators, has its place in assessing the competitiveness of state, respectively states. According to its amount, investors often decide in which country they will do business, respectively place their investments. Taxes are not only an important source of revenues for public budgets, but the applicable tax policy is an important factor for economic growth and can influence the competitiveness of the economy. Because the competitiveness can be studied from different aspects - some of them are presented in this contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value added tax revenues represent almost half of the total tax revenues of public adminstration in Slovakia. Discrepancy between the growth of VAT revenues and the growth of its macro-economic base in recent years can be attributed mainly to the increase of tax evasion as well as to the low efficiency of VAT collection. The efficient tax collection and the total loss of tax revenues as a result of non-declaration and nonpayment of VAT stand therefore in the center of attention of the Slovak government. A serious problem is also the inability to enforce tax liabilities from the taxpayers and the lack of payment discipline. The paper analyses selected measures adopted by the Slovak government which should help to eliminate tax evasion relating to VAT and opinions of tax experts who evaluated adopted anti-fraud measures through a questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tax evasion and tax avoidance distort competition, deform business environment and influence efficiency of taxation. The states may affect the size of shadow economy and thus the amount of tax evasion by their activity as well as by the harmonization of tax legislative at international level. The paper investigates a statistical dependence concerning the relationship of the shadow economy and tax evasion. It is estimated that more than three-quarters of total tax revenue loss in the EU accounts for tax evasion linked to the existence of the shadow economy. Increased use of electronic payments and limiting cash transactions could eliminate the size of shadow economy and amount of tax evasion. This fact confirms statistical dependence between the number of electronic transactions per capita and the size of the shadow economy. Intensifying fight against tax evasion and efficient tax collection are therefore the key factors to ensuring a long-term sustainability of public finances in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]