Speaker：Liu Zhikuo, Professor, Fudan University

Host：Zhang Li, Professor, Lingnan College

Time and Date：19:00, May 28, 2026 (Thursday)

Venue：Room 104, Mayingbiao Hall

Language：Chinese

Abstract：

In recent years, China's macro tax burden has exhibited a sustained downward trend. Understanding the nature and sources of this pattern is central to the design of effective fiscal policy as well as to public finance theory. This paper shows that the decline is structural rather than cyclical, reflecting the combined effects of extensive tax cuts, low inflation, long-term economic transformation, and the limited adaptability of the current tax system. Notably, weaknesses in existing tax structure have undermined the system's ability to stabilize the macro tax burden under prolonged fiscal pressure. From the perspective of China's economic transition, managing the macro tax burden should not be viewed as a short-term countercyclical response; instead, it requires a comprehensive reform of the tax system. Future tax reforms should prioritize improvements in tax structure and redistributive capacity to better balance equity objectives and long-term fiscal sustainability.

Profile:

Liu Zhikuo is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Economics, Fudan University. His research focuses on tax system design, industrial policies and corporate behavior. His research findings have been published in authoritative domestic and international journals including American Economic Review, Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economics and Statistics, Social Sciences in China, Economic Research Journal, and Management World. He has received numerous prestigious awards, such as the First Prize of Outstanding Scientific Research Achievements in Institutions of Higher Education from the Ministry of Education, the First Prize of Shanghai Outstanding Achievements in Philosophy and Social Sciences, the Zhang Peigang Young Scholar Award in Development Economics, the Pushan Excellent Paper Award in World Economics, the An Zijie International Trade Research Award, and the Nomination Award for the Masahiko Aoki Economics Paper. He has presided over the Excellent Young Scientists Fund, Key Special Projects and Youth Projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In addition, he serves as an editor of World Economic Papers and associate editor of China & World Economy.