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The Russian Flat Tax Reform

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Author Info
Anna Ivanova
Alexander Klemm
Michael Keen

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Abstract

Russia dramatically reduced its higher rates of personal income tax (PIT) in 2001 establishing a single marginal rate at the low level of 13 percent. In the following year, real revenue from the PIT actually increased by about 26 percent. This 'flat tax' experience has attracted much attention (and emulation) among policymakers, making it perhaps the most important tax reform of recent years. But it has been little studied. This paper asks whether the strong revenue performance of the PIT was itself a consequence of this reform, using both macro evidence and, in particular, micro-level data on the experiences of individuals and households affected by the reform to varying degrees. It concludes that there is no evidence of a strong supply side effect of the reform. Compliance, however, did improve quite substantially-by about one third according to our estimates-though it remains unclear whether this was due to the parametric reforms or to accompanying changes in enforcement.

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Paper provided by International Monetary Fund in its series IMF Working Papers with number 05/16.

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Length: 47 pages
Date of creation: 03 Feb 2005
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Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:05/16

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Keywords: Tax reforms ; Russian Federation ; Income taxes ; Tax evasion ;

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This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports: 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. Richard Blundell & Alan Duncan & Costas Meghir, 1998. "Estimating Labor Supply Responses Using Tax Reforms," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 66(4), pages 827-862, July.
    Other versions:
  2. Edgar L. Feige & Ivica Urban, 2003. "Estimating the Size and Growth of Unrecorded Economic Activity in Transition Countries: A Re-evaluation of Electric Consumption Method Estimates and their Implications," Macroeconomics 0311010, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  3. 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)
  4. Friedman, Eric & Johnson, Simon & Kaufmann, Daniel & Zoido-Lobaton, Pablo, 2000. "Dodging the grabbing hand: the determinants of unofficial activity in 69 countries," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 459-493, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Eduardo M.R.A. Engel & James R. Hines, Jr., 1999. "Understanding Tax Evasion Dynamics," NBER Working Papers 6903, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Full references

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. Edward Christie & Mario Holzner, 2006. "What Explains Tax Evasion? An Empirical Assessment based on European Data," Working Papers 40, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw. [Downloadable!]
  2. Elöd Takáts & Tamás K. Papp, 2008. "Tax Rate Cuts and Tax Compliance--The Laffer Curve Revisited," IMF Working Papers 08/7, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
  3. Anita Tuladhar & Philippe Egoumé-Bossogo, 2007. "Tax, Welfare, and Pension Reforms in Slovenia: Implications for Work Incentives and Labor Participation," IMF Working Papers 06/298, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
  4. Felix Hammermann & Mark Flanagan, 2007. "What Explains Persistent Inflation Differentials Across Transition Economies?," Kiel Working Papers 1373, Kiel Institute for the World Economy. [Downloadable!]
  5. Alexander Libman & Lars P. Feld, 2007. "Strategic Tax Collection and Fiscal Decentralisation: The Case of Russia," CREMA Working Paper Series 2007-09, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Karsten Staehr, 2008. "Estimates of employment and welfare effects of personal labour income taxation in a flat-tax country : The case of Estonia," Bank of Estonia Working Papers 2008-03, Bank of Estonia, revised 30 Oct 2008. [Downloadable!]
  7. Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Klara Sabirianova Peter, 2007. "Myth and Reality of Flat Tax Reform: Micro Estimates of Tax Evasion Response and Welfare Effects in Russia," International Studies Program Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0720, International Studies Program, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Decoster A & De swerdt K & Orsini K, 2008. "A Belgian Flat Income Tax: Effects On Labour Supply And Income Distribution," EUROMOD Working Papers EM8/08, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Michael Keen & Yitae Kim & Ricardo Varsano, 2008. "The “flat tax(es)”: principles and experience," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 712-751, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Majcen, Boris & Verbic, Miroslav & Cok, Mitja, 2007. "The Income Tax Reform in Slovenia: Should the Flat Tax Have Prevailed?," MPRA Paper 10348, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  11. Mark J Flanagan & Felix Hammermann, 2007. "What Explains Persistent Inflation Differentials Across Transition Economies?," IMF Working Papers 07/189, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
  12. Socol, Cristian & Marinas, Marius & Socol, Aura Gabriela, 2007. "The flat tax in Romania. A good economic strategy?," MPRA Paper 3166, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  13. Lelkes, Orsolya & Benedek, Dora, 2007. "Assessment of income distribution and a hypothetical flat tax reform in Hungary," MPRA Paper 7304, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  14. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Mark Rider & Riatu Qibthiyyah & Sally Wallace, 2006. "Who Bears the Burden of Taxes on Labor Income in Russia?," International Studies Program Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0621, International Studies Program, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University. [Downloadable!]
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