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Tax evasion, labor market effects, and income distribution

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  • James Alm

    (Tulane University, USA)

Abstract

To determine the full effects of taxation on income distribution, policymakers need to consider the impacts of tax evasion. In the standard analysis of tax evasion, all the benefits are assumed to accrue to tax evaders. But tax evasion has other impacts that determine its true effects. As factors of production move from tax-compliant to tax-evading (informal) sectors, changes in relative prices and productivity reduce incentives for workers to enter the informal sector. At least some of the gains from evasion are thus shifted to the consumers of the output of tax evaders, through lower prices.

Suggested Citation

  • James Alm, 2014. "Tax evasion, labor market effects, and income distribution," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-91, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:y:2014:n:91
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kesselman, Jonathan R., 1989. "Income tax evasion : An intersectoral analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 137-182, March.
    2. Alm, James & Sennoga, Edward B., 2010. "Mobility, Competition, and the Distributional Effects of Tax Evasion," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 63(4), pages 1055-1084, December.
    3. Agnar Sandmo, 2012. "An evasive topic: theorizing about the hidden economy," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 19(1), pages 5-24, February.
    4. James Alm & Abel Embaye, 2013. "Using Dynamic Panel Methods to Estimate Shadow Economies Around the World, 1984-2006," Working Papers 1303, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    5. James Alm & Sally Wallace, 2007. "Are Jamaica’s Direct Taxes on Labor “Fair†?," Public Finance Review, , vol. 35(1), pages 83-102, January.
    6. James Alm, 2012. "Measuring, explaining, and controlling tax evasion: lessons from theory, experiments, and field studies," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 19(1), pages 54-77, February.
    7. Gil S. Epstein & Ira N. Gang, 2010. "Why Pay Taxes When No One Else Does?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 374-385, May.
    8. Alm, James, 1985. "The Welfare Cost of the Underground Economy," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 23(2), pages 243-263, April.
    9. James Alm & Keith Finlay, 2013. "Who Benefits from Tax Evasion?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 139-154, September.
    10. Allingham, Michael G. & Sandmo, Agnar, 1972. "Income tax evasion: a theoretical analysis," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(3-4), pages 323-338, November.
    11. James Alm & Abel Embaye, 2013. "Using Dynamic Panel Methods to Estimate Shadow Economies Around the World, 1984–2006," Public Finance Review, , vol. 41(5), pages 510-543, September.
    12. Alm, James & Bahl, Roy & Murray, Matthew N, 1991. "Tax Base Erosion in Developing Countries," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 39(4), pages 849-872, July.
    13. Watson, Harry, 1985. "Tax evasion and labor markets," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 231-246, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gil S. Epstein & Ira N. Gang, 2019. "Inequality, good governance, and endemic corruption," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 26(5), pages 999-1017, October.
    2. Ioannis Gasteratos & Michael Karamalis & Andreas Koutoupis, 2016. "Shadow Economy Worsens Income distribution," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(3), pages 80-92.
    3. Amedeo Argentiero & Sandro Casal & Luigi Mittone & Azzurra Morreale, 2021. "Tax evasion and inequality: some theoretical and empirical insights," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 309-320, December.
    4. Bethencourt, Carlos & Kunze, Lars, 2020. "Social norms and economic growth in a model with labor and capital income tax evasion," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 170-182.
    5. Carlos Bethencourt & Fernando Perera‐Tallo, 2020. "On the relationship between sectorial and institutional structural changes," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(3), pages 533-565, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    tax evasion; tax incidence; general equilibrium;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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