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Tax-tariff reform with costs of tax administration

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Author Info
Knud Jørgen Munk () (Department of Economics, University of Aarhus, Denmark)

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Abstract

As is broadly recognized, the straightforward application of the Diamond-Mirrlees (1971) production efficiency theorem implies that when lump-sum taxation is not available, then it is optimal for the government in a small open economy to rely on taxes on the net demand of households rather than on border taxes to finance its resource requirements. However, the theorem does not hold when taxation is associated with administrative costs. The present paper explores the implications for optimal taxation and for desirable directions of tax-tariff reform in countries at different levels of economic development taking into account the costs of tax administration. The paper lends support to and clarifies the reasons for the criticism by Emran and Stiglitz (2003, 2005) of the IMF and the World Bank's recommendation to developing countries to adopt VAT to replace border taxes.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by School of Economics and Management, University of Aarhus in its series Economics Working Papers with number 2005-21.

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Length: 20
Date of creation: 15 Dec 2005
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Handle: RePEc:aah:aarhec:2005-21

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Related research
Keywords: Optimal taxation; optimal trade policy; VAT; tax-tariff reform; costs of tax administration; informal sector; developing countries;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Knud Jørgen Munk, 2006. "Welfare Effects of Tax and Price Changes and the CES-UT Utility Function," Economics Working Papers 2006-15, School of Economics and Management, University of Aarhus. [Downloadable!]
  2. Stiglitz, Joseph E & Dasgupta, P, 1971. "Differential Taxation, Public Goods and Economic Efficiency," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(114), pages 151-74, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Chris Evans, 2003. "Studying the Studies: An overview of recent research into taxation operating costs," Taxation eJournal of Tax Research , ATAX, University of New South Wales. [Downloadable!]
  4. Roger Gordon & Wei Li, 2005. "Tax Structure in Developing Countries: Many Puzzles and a Possible Explanation," NBER Working Papers 11267, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Heady, Christopher J. & Mitra, Pradeep K., 1982. "Restricted redistributive taxation, shadow prices and trade policy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 1-22, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Roger Gordon & Wei Li, 2005. "Puzzling Tax Structures in Developing Countries: A Comparison of Two Alternative Explanations," NBER Working Papers 11661, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Diewert, W E & Turunen-Red, A H & Woodland, A D, 1989. "Productivity- and Pareto-Improving Changes in Taxes and Tariffs," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 56(2), pages 199-215, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. James Andreoni & Brian Erard & Jonathan Feinstein, 1998. "Tax Compliance," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(2), pages 818-860, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Hristos Doucouliagos & Martin Paldam, 2005. "The Aid Effectiveness Literature. The Sad Result of 40 Years of Research," Economics Working Papers 2005-15, School of Economics and Management, University of Aarhus. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Knud Jørgen Munk, 2006. "On the Rationale for the Use of Border Taxes in Developing Countries," Economics Working Papers 2006-12, School of Economics and Management, University of Aarhus. [Downloadable!]
  11. Keen, Michael & Ligthart, Jenny E., 2002. "Coordinating tariff reduction and domestic tax reform," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 489-507, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  12. Emran, M. Shahe & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 2005. "On selective indirect tax reform in developing countries," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(4), pages 599-623, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  13. Dixit, A. K. & Munk, K. J., 1977. "Welfare effects of tax and price changes : A correction," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 103-107, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Thomas Baunsgaard & Michael Keen, 2005. "Tax Revenue and (or?) Trade Liberalization," IMF Working Papers 05/112, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
  15. Heady, Christopher J. & Mitra, Pradeep K., 1987. "Distributional and revenue raising arguments for tariffs," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 77-101, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Grossman, Gene M & Helpman, Elhanan, 1994. "Protection for Sale," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(4), pages 833-50, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  17. Diamond, Peter A & Mirrlees, James A, 1971. "Optimal Taxation and Public Production: I--Production Efficiency," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 61(1), pages 8-27, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Knud Jørgen Munk & Bo Sandemann Rasmussen, 2005. "On the Determinants of Optimal Border Taxes for a Small Open Economy," Economics Working Papers 2005-22, School of Economics and Management, University of Aarhus. [Downloadable!]
  19. Anderson, James E, 2002. "Trade Reform Diagnostics with Many Households, Quotas, and Tariffs," Review of International Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 10(2), pages 215-36, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  20. Gardner, Grant W & Kimbrough, Kent P, 1992. "Tax Regimes, Tariff Revenues and Government Spending," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 59(233), pages 75-92, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Dixit, Avinash, 1985. "Tax policy in open economies," Handbook of Public Economics, in: A. J. Auerbach & M. Feldstein (ed.), Handbook of Public Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 6, pages 313-374 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  22. M. Shahe Emran & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2004. "Price-neutral Tax Reform With an Informal Economy," Public Economics 0407010, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  23. Friedrich Schneider & Dominik H. Enste, 2000. "Shadow Economies: Size, Causes, and Consequences," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(1), pages 77-114, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  24. Knud Jørgen Munk, . "What Determines the Optimal Commodity Tax Structure from an Intuitive Point of View?," EPRU Working Paper Series 02-17, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  25. Tatsuo Hatta & Yoshitomo Ogawa, 2003. "A Theory of Optimal Tariffs under a Revenue Constraint," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-202, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo. [Downloadable!]
  26. Dasgupta, Partha S & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1974. "Benefit-Cost Analysis and Trade Policies," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 82(1), pages 1-33, Jan.-Feb.. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  27. Mirrlees, James A, 1972. "On Producer Taxation," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 39(1), pages 105-11, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  28. 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. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  29. Munk, Knud Jorgen, 1980. "Optimal Taxation with Some Non-Taxable Commodities," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(4), pages 755-65, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  30. Hatta, Tatsuo, 1977. "A Recommendation for a Better Tariff Structure," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 45(8), pages 1859-69, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  31. Diamond, P. A. & McFadden, D. L., 1974. "Some uses of the expenditure function in public finance," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 3-21, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  32. Knud Jørgen Munk, . "Should Governments Create Production Inefficiency?," EPRU Working Paper Series 98-20, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
  33. Hristos Doucouliagos & Martin Paldam, 2005. "Aid Effectiveness on Growth. A Meta Study," Economics Working Papers 2005-13, School of Economics and Management, University of Aarhus. [Downloadable!]
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Manoj Atolia, 2003. "Public Investment, Tax Evasion and Welfare Effects of a Tariff Reform," Working Papers wp2003_10_01, Department of Economics, Florida State University, revised Oct 2008. [Downloadable!]
  2. Michael Keen, 2007. "VAT, Tariffs, and Withholding: Border Taxes and Informality in Developing Countries," IMF Working Papers 07/174, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Michael Keen, 2007. "VAT Attacks!," IMF Working Papers 07/142, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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