An existing 16.5% tax on wholesale transactions is to become a value-added tax at a slightly lower rate, though existing exemptions will survive (a mistake, say some economists).

ECONOMIST: Venezuela

The most damaging was a move by the government at the start of 2009 to double the rate of value-added tax on pay-TV to 20%.

ECONOMIST: Pay-television in Italy

The U.S. is the only industrialized country without a VAT essentially a sales tax, applied at each level of production to value added at that level.

FORBES: 2020 Vision

It is not hard to see demand growth being dragged down at the start of next year by a planned rise in value-added tax in Germany and budgetary tightening in Italy.

ECONOMIST: The euro area's economy

Some sort of value-added or sales tax, by contrast, would be at once more effective and more incendiary.

ECONOMIST: Hong Kong

Consumers may cut back on spending now that the main rate of VAT (value-added tax) has returned to 17.5% after 13 months at 15% to counter the recession.

ECONOMIST: Why there are renewed worries about unemployment

Also, some Brazilian states (3 of 27) charge a lower VAT (Value Added Tax) on hydrous ethanol sold to Flex-Fuel cars compared to VAT imposed on gasoline at the pump.

FORBES: Further Implications Of The U.S. Ethanol Tariff