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Cultural norms, the persistence of tax evasion, and economic growth

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  • Dimitrios Varvarigos

    (University of Leicester)

Abstract

I study the effects of tax evasion on economic growth by focusing on the cultural aspects of tax compliance and their effect on the extensive margin of tax evasion. A cultural norm that determines the contemptibility of tax dodging practices links the past incidence of tax evasion with the tax payers’ current incentives to conceal sources of income. This dynamic complementarity may lead to multiple equilibria in the evolution of tax evasion. Due to the latter’s effect on capital accumulation, this multiplicity may lead economies in divergent development paths, as long as they differ in the initial magnitude of tax evasion. This happens even though economies may be, on the outset, identical in terms of capital stock and structural characteristics, including those that govern tax enforcement.

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  • Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2017. "Cultural norms, the persistence of tax evasion, and economic growth," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 63(4), pages 961-995, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:63:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s00199-016-0976-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s00199-016-0976-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Anastasia Latina & Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2020. "Corruption and the Cultural Evolution of Family Ties," Discussion Papers in Economics 20/04, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    2. Kiyoka Akimoto, 2018. "Corruption, Mortality and Fertility Rates, and Development," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-10, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    3. Kiyoka Akimoto, 2021. "Corruption, mortality rates, and development: policies for escaping from the poverty trap," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 133(1), pages 1-26, June.
    4. Leonardo Barros Torres & Jaylson Jair da Silveira, Gilberto Tadeu Lima, 2022. "To Comply or not to Comply: Persistent Heterogeneity in Tax Compliance and Macroeconomic Dynamics," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2022_04, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    5. Arbex Marcelo & Corrêa Márcio V. & Magalhães Marcos R. V., 2023. "Tolerance of Informality and Occupational Choices in a Large Informal Sector Economy," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 23(1), pages 241-278, January.
    6. Litina Anastasia & Varvarigos Dimitrios, 2023. "Family Ties and Corruption," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 23(1), pages 195-222, January.
    7. Ma, Yong & Jiang, Hao & Xiao, Weilin, 2021. "Tax evasion, audits with memory, and portfolio choice," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 896-909.
    8. 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.
    9. Vasileios Kotsidis, 2018. "Call to Action: Intrinsic Motives and Material Interests," Games, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-24, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax evasion; Cultural norms; Fiscal policy; Economic growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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