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Bribes and Business Tax Evasion

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  • David Joulfaian

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of governance, in particular bribes to tax officials, in shaping business tax compliance behavior in transition economies. The empirical results show that business noncompliance rises with the frequency of tax related bribes. More specifically, the findings from 27 economies suggest that tax evasion thrives when bribes to tax officials are commonplace. These findings are robust to a number of specifications that control for firm and country attributes as well as address the potential endogeneity of bribes.

Suggested Citation

  • David Joulfaian, 2009. "Bribes and Business Tax Evasion," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 6(2), pages 227-244, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:liu:liucej:v:6:y:2009:i:2:p:227-244
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. John E. Anderson, 2014. "Informal Payments to the Tax Collector in Transition Countries," Ekonomi-tek - International Economics Journal, Turkish Economic Association, vol. 3(2), pages 1-26, May.
    2. Dimitrios Varvarigos & Eleni Stathopoulou, 2023. "On the relation between corruption and market competition," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(1), pages 99-121, January.
    3. Gokalp, Omer N. & Lee, Seung-Hyun & Peng, Mike W., 2017. "Competition and corporate tax evasion: An institution-based view," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 258-269.
    4. Tran, My Thi Ha, 2021. "Public Sector Management And Corruption In Asean Plus Six," OSF Preprints stxw4, Center for Open Science.
    5. Abed Al-Rahman Mohammad Baker & Mohannad Mohammad Al-Ibainy, 2018. "The Impact of Tax Governance on the Governmental Corruption level in Jordan," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(4), pages 119-132, April.
    6. Wilsa Road Betterment Sitepu & Salwani Arbak, 2023. "Factors Affecting Tax Compliance by Small and Medium Enterprises in Indonesia," Oblik i finansi, Institute of Accounting and Finance, issue 4, pages 60-71, December.
    7. Shusen Qi & Steven Ongena, 2019. "Will Money Talk? Firm Bribery and Credit Access," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 48(1), pages 117-157, March.
    8. Vanina Adoriana Trifan & Silviu Gabriel Szentesi & Lavinia Denisia Cuc & Mioara Florina Pantea, 2023. "Assessing Tax Compliance Behavior Among Romanian Taxpayers: An Empirical Case Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    9. Weicheng Lyu & Nirvikar Singh, 2023. "Embedded autonomy, political institutions, and access orders," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 286-312, March.
    10. Lahiri, Bidisha & Ali, Haider, 2022. "Inspections, informal payments and tax payments by firms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PA).
    11. Mawani, Amin & Trivedi, Viswanath Umashanker, 2021. "Collusive vs. coercively corrupt tax auditors and their impact on tax compliance," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    12. Lumir Abdixhiku, Geoff Pugh, Iraj Hashi, 2018. "Business Tax Evasion in Transition Economies: A Cross-Country Panel Investigation," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 15(1), pages 11-36, June.
    13. Adamu Jibir & Musa Abdu & Tasiu Muhammad, 2020. "Analysis of Tax Compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Firm-Level Study," Econometric Research in Finance, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis, vol. 5(2), pages 119-142, December.
    14. Fadi Alasfour, 2019. "Costs of Distrust: The Virtuous Cycle of Tax Compliance in Jordan," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(1), pages 243-258, March.
    15. Ahmad Farhan Alshira’h & Moh’d Alsqour & Abdalwali Lutfi & Adi Alsyouf & Malek Alshirah, 2020. "A Socio-Economic Model of Sales Tax Compliance," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-15, October.
    16. Ahmad Farhan Alshira¡¯h & Hijattulah Abdul-Jabbar, 2019. "A Conceptual Model of Sales Tax Compliance among Jordanian SMEs and Its Implications for Future Research," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(5), pages 114-114, May.
    17. Dagmara Nikulin & Ewa Lechman, 2021. "Shadow Economy in Poland: Results of the Survey," SpringerBriefs in Economics, in: Shadow Economy in Poland, chapter 0, pages 49-65, Springer.
    18. Anastasiou Athanasios & Kalligosfyris Charalampos & Kalamara Eleni, 2021. "Determinants of tax evasion in Greece: Econometric analysis of co-integration and causality, variance decomposition and impulse response analysis," Bulletin of Applied Economics, Risk Market Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 29-57.
    19. Manamba Epaphra, & John Massawe,, 2017. "Corruption, governance and tax revenues in Africa," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center, vol. 13(4), pages 439-467, October.
    20. Anna Alon & Amy Hageman, 2013. "The Impact of Corruption on Firm Tax Compliance in Transition Economies: Whom Do You Trust?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 479-494, September.
    21. Abdixhiku, Lumir & Krasniqi, Besnik & Pugh, Geoff & Hashi, Iraj, 2017. "Firm-level determinants of tax evasion in transition economies," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 354-366.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax Evasion; Firm Behavior; Corruption;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption

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