Property Tax Reform in Vietnam: A Work in Progress

In 2012, Vietnam will celebrate 25 years of economic reform and structural readjustment from a largely centralized, subsidized economy to one based on market principles. A major component of these reforms has involved establishing land and property rights, thereby giving individuals and organizations secure title to the property they occupy and use. The passing of various Land Laws has given legislative support to the concept of private property rights. This represents a significant ideological change, given that land in Vietnam has always been considered to belong to the State. In conjunction with these changes, focus has shifted to reforming the real property tax from a tax largely based on rice productivity to one based on ad valorem principles. This paper reviews existing property-based taxes, highlighting their weaknesses and outlining the potential for a land tax to effectively replace the current property tax.