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Tax Evasion And State Productivity—An Experimental Study

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  • Werner Güth
  • Sabine Strauß
  • Matthias Sutter

Abstract

In an overlapping generations experiment with multiple families participants can support their parents directly and thereby reduce their tax burden or rely on tax‐financed old‐age support. State productivity is captured by the factor with which total tax revenues are multiplied to determine old‐age support. This factor is systematically varied from 0.75 to 1.25. Tax payments depend on declared endowment. Tax evasion is possible, but monitored. Our results suggest that state productivity influences neither direct support of own parents nor tax evasion. The main effect is that rich endowment triggers relatively low support of own parents and high (and more frequent) tax evasion.

Suggested Citation

  • Werner Güth & Sabine Strauß & Matthias Sutter, 2005. "Tax Evasion And State Productivity—An Experimental Study," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 85-100, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:metroe:v:56:y:2005:i:1:p:85-100
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-999X.2005.00208.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Güth, W. & Sutter, M. & Verbon, H.A.A. & Weck-Hannemann, H., 2001. "Family Versus Public Solidarity : Theory and Experiment," Discussion Paper 2001-86, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    2. Bayer, Ralph-C & Sutter, Matthias, 2009. "The excess burden of tax evasion--An experimental detection-concealment contest," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 527-543, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Christoph Engel, 2016. "Experimental Criminal Law. A Survey of Contributions from Law, Economics and Criminology," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2016_07, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    2. Loukas Balafoutas & Adrian Beck & Rudolf Kerschbamer & Matthias Sutter, 2014. "The Hidden Costs of Tax Evasion - Collaborative Tax Evasion in Markets for Expert Services," Working Papers 2014-01, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    3. Balafoutas, Loukas & Beck, Adrian & Kerschbamer, Rudolf & Sutter, Matthias, 2015. "The hidden costs of tax evasion," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 14-25.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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