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Taxation and Public Spending Efficiency: An International Comparison

Author

Listed:
  • António Afonso

    (Universidade de Lisboa
    REM/UECE)

  • João Tovar Jalles

    (Universidade de Lisboa
    Universidade Nova de Lisboa
    IPAG Business School)

  • Ana Venâncio

    (Universidade de Lisboa
    ADVANCE/CSG)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the relevance of taxation for public spending efficiency in a sample of OECD economies for the period of 2003–2017. We start by computing the data envelopment analysis (DEA) scores, and then we evaluate the role of tax structure in explaining these public efficiency scores, using a reduced-form panel data regression specification. Our main findings are as follows: inputs could be theoretically lower by approximately 32–34% and expenditure efficiency is negatively associated with taxation. More specifically, direct and indirect taxes negatively affect government efficiency performance, and the same is true for social security contributions.

Suggested Citation

  • António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles & Ana Venâncio, 2021. "Taxation and Public Spending Efficiency: An International Comparison," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 63(3), pages 356-383, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:compes:v:63:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1057_s41294-021-00147-2
    DOI: 10.1057/s41294-021-00147-2
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    Cited by:

    1. António Afonso & José Alves, 2023. "Are fiscal consolidation episodes helpful for public sector efficiency?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(31), pages 3547-3560, July.
    2. António Afonso & José Alves, 2022. "Does government spending efficiency improve fiscal sustainability?," Working Papers REM 2022/0226, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    3. Afonso, António & Tovar Jalles, João & Venâncio, Ana, 2022. "Do financial markets reward government spending efficiency?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    4. Kea BARET, 2021. "Fiscal rules’ compliance and Social Welfare," Working Papers of BETA 2021-38, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    5. Cheick Camara, 2023. "Gender Budgeting and Health Spending Efficiency in Indian States: A Staggered Difference-in-Differences Analysis," CERDI Working papers hal-04294262, HAL.
    6. António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles & Ana Venâncio, 2021. "Structural Tax Reforms and Public Spending Efficiency," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 32(5), pages 1017-1061, November.
    7. António Afonso & Gabriela Baquero Fraga, 2024. "Government spending efficiency in Latin America," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 51(1), pages 127-160, February.
    8. António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles & Ana Venâncio, 2023. "Government Spending and Tax Revenue Decentralization and Public Sector Efficiency: Do Natural Disasters Matter?," CESifo Working Paper Series 10424, CESifo.
    9. Gergana Mihaylova-Borisova & Presiana Nenkova, 2021. "DEA Efficiency Approach in Comparing Macroeconomic Performance of EU and Balkan Countries," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 6, pages 42-62.
    10. Lucas Menescal & José Alves, 2023. "Tax structure and public sector efficiency: new evidence for developing countries," Working Papers REM 2023/0291, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    11. Tukiainen, Janne & Blesse, Sebastian & Bohne, Albrecht & Giuffrida, Leonardo M. & Jääskeläinen, Jan & Luukinen, Ari & Sieppi, Antti, 2021. "What are the priorities of bureaucrats? Evidence from conjoint experiments with procurement officials," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-033, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    12. António Afonso & Ana Venâncio, 2022. "Local Property Tax Reform and Municipality Spending Efficiency," CESifo Working Paper Series 9538, CESifo.
    13. António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles & Ana Venâncio, 2022. "A Tale of Government Spending Efficiency and Trust in the State," CESifo Working Paper Series 10075, CESifo.
    14. Kea BARET, 2021. "Fiscal rules’ compliance and Social Welfare," Working Papers of BETA 2021-50, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    15. Ablam Estel Apeti & Bao-We-Wal Bambe & Aguima Aime Bernard Lompo, 2023. "Determinants of public sector efficiency: a panel database from a stochastic frontier analysis," Post-Print hal-04189811, HAL.
    16. López-Herrera, Carmen & Cordero, José M. & Pedraja-Chaparro, Francisco & Polo, Cristina, 2023. "Fiscal rules and their influence on public sector efficiency," MPRA Paper 119018, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    government spending efficiency; public sector performance; tax structure; data envelopment analysis (DEA); nonparametric estimation; panel data; OECD;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General

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