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Tax Optimization under Tax Evasion: The Role of Penalty Constraints

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  • Vasin Alexander
  • Vasina Polina

Abstract

This paper considers the problem of determining the optimal taxation for a group of individuals with random, independent and identically distributed incomes. Because a taxpayer's income is private information, it can only be verified through a costly audit. The purpose of this paper is to characterize the optimal tax schedule and auditing strategy that maximizes the government's net tax revenue under certain participation constraints that are related to the interests of the taxpayers. The authors determine the optimal evasion-proof strategy, depending on the penalty constraint. They show that under certain conditions, tax evasion may increase net tax revenue, but typically the optimal government strategy is evasion-proof.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasin Alexander & Vasina Polina, 2002. "Tax Optimization under Tax Evasion: The Role of Penalty Constraints," EERC Working Paper Series 01-09e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    • Handle: RePEc:eer:wpalle:01-09e
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sanchez, Isabel & Sobel, Joel, 1993. "Hierarchical design and enforcement of income tax policies," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 345-369, March.
    2. Kim C. Border & Joel Sobel, 1987. "Samurai Accountant: A Theory of Auditing and Plunder," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 54(4), pages 525-540.
    3. Dilip Mookherjee & Ivan Png, 1989. "Optimal Auditing, Insurance, and Redistribution," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 104(2), pages 399-415.
    4. Kofman, Fred & Lawarree, Jacques, 1993. "Collusion in Hierarchical Agency," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(3), pages 629-656, May.
    5. Cremer, H. & Marchand, M. & Pestieau, P., 1990. "Evading, auditing and taxing : The equity-compliance tradeoff," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 67-92, October.
    6. Reinganum, Jennifer F. & Wilde, Louis L., 1985. "Income tax compliance in a principal-agent framework," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Kofman, Fred & Lawarree, Jacques, 1996. "On the optimality of allowing collusion," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 383-407, September.
    8. Hindriks, Jean & Keen, Michael & Muthoo, Abhinay, 1999. "Corruption, extortion and evasion," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(3), pages 395-430, December.
    9. Pranab Bardhan, 1997. "Corruption and Development: A Review of Issues," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(3), pages 1320-1346, September.
    10. Parkash Chander & Louis L. Wilde, 1998. "A General Characterization of Optimal Income Tax Enforcement," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 65(1), pages 165-183.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lipatov, Vilen, 2003. "Evolution of Tax Evasion," MPRA Paper 966, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 06 Dec 2005.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Russia; optimal tax schedule; penalty constraint; evasion-proof strategy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C70 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - General
    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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