While arguments have been made that property taxes could provide local governments in developing and transition economies with an ideal source of revenue, revenue performance has not matched the expectations of those making such arguments, perhaps because of the high cost of accurate valuation and the political difficulty of enforcement. In this volume, editors Bahl (economics, Georgia State U.), Martinez-Vazquez (economics, Georgia State U.), and Youngman (valuation and taxation, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy) present 15 chapters analyzing the problems that have been experienced with implementation of the property tax in developing and transitional countries and considering means of overcoming the problems and making the property tax a more relevant source of income for those countries. The chapters discuss property tax experiences in countries throughout the world, including China, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, and Lithuania. Annotation 2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
