Productivity and Tax Evasion

Author/Editor:

Era Dabla-Norris ; Mark Gradstein ; Fedor Miryugin ; Florian Misch

Publication Date:

November 27, 2019

Electronic Access:

Free Download. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary:

The extent of tax compliance has important implications for revenue yield, efficiency and the fairness of any tax system. Tax evasion undermines revenue collection, distorts competition, and undermines a country’s development prospects. In this paper, we investigate whether higher productivity causally leads to lower tax evasion. We first present stylized facts consistent with this view and develop a model that illustrates one potential transmission channel. Second, we test the model predictions at the firm level using the self-reported share of declared income as proxy for tax evasion for a large sample of emerging and developing economies. Our results suggests that productivity improvements by firms can lead to lower tax evasion.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2019/260

Subject:

English

Publication Date:

November 27, 2019

ISBN/ISSN:

9781513518619/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA2019260

Pages:

33

Please address any questions about this title to publications@imf.org