New Book on Property Tax in Europe Spotlights Lessons with International Relevance 

Property tax experts from across Europe came together last week to discuss comparative insights and policy lessons at a conference signaling the launch of Property Tax in Europe: A Changing Landscape—the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy’s newest book in a series on international property taxation. 

Edited by Riël Franzsen, Roy Bahl, and William McCluskey, Property Tax in Europe features in-depth case studies from more than a dozen countries—including successful institutional transitions, use of the property tax as a land policy instrument, and innovative technological applications.   

The conference, presented by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Netherlands Council for Real Estate Assessment, took place at The Hague in the Netherlands on June 8–9.  

“This must-read volume is full of new information, ongoing challenges, and reform strategies, delivering important lessons for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars working on improving property taxation around the world,” said Jorge Martinez-Vazquez, Regents Professor of Economics Emeritus at Georgia State University. 

Property Tax in Europe follows two other Lincoln Institute books that cover property tax on an international scale, Property Tax in Africa: Status, Challenges, and Prospects (2017) and Property Tax in Asia: Policy and Practice (2022).  

“This is a timely resource, given the current fiscal and political situation in Europe and the diversity of the policies in place throughout the continent,” said Joan Youngman, executive director of Land and Fiscal Systems at the Lincoln Institute. “The local property tax can provide a stable revenue source well suited for local governments, and this book captures the many different approaches found in Europe and analyzes their operation.” 

Learn more about Property Tax in Europe.

Kristina McGeehan is the director of communications at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Lead image: Colorful gabled facades along Damrak Canal in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Credit: MEDITERRANEAN via Getty Images.