IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nam/befdwp/0122.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The sources of VAT gaps in WAEMU: case studies on Benin and Burkina Faso

Author

Listed:
  • Romain Houssa

    (CRED, University of Namur)

  • Kelbesa Megersa

    (CRED, University of Namur)

  • Roukiatou Nikiema

    (Ouaga II University)

Abstract

This paper examines the performance of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) in Benin and Burkina Faso since its introduction in the early 1990s. Both countries are witnessing a gradual rise in tax revenue over the study period. The paper also delivers a sectoral breakdown of inefficiencies in VAT-revenue collection in the two countries. We additionally decompose VAT gap in to ‘compliance gap’ and the ‘policy gap’. We find that the sectors responsible for ‘compliance gap’ are largely similar in the two countries. The gaps in VAT collection represent a considerable loss in potential tax revenue. Addressing them will support the ‘Domestic Resource Mobilization’ (DRM) efforts of the two countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa & Roukiatou Nikiema, 2017. "The sources of VAT gaps in WAEMU: case studies on Benin and Burkina Faso," BeFinD Working Papers 0122, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:nam:befdwp:0122
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.befind.be/Documents/WPs/wp22
    File Function: First version, 2017
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edward Christie & Mario Holzner, 2006. "What Explains Tax Evasion? An Empirical Assessment based on European Data," wiiw Working Papers 40, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    2. Robin Boadway & Motohiro Sato, 2009. "Optimal Tax Design and Enforcement with an Informal Sector," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 1-27, February.
    3. Michael Keen, 2013. "The Anatomy of the Vat," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 66(2), pages 423-446, June.
    4. International Monetary Fund, 1996. "Benin: Recent Economic Developments," IMF Staff Country Reports 1996/102, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Mattéo Godin & Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa, 2017. "The Performance of VAT in DGD-partner countries," BeFinD Working Papers 0116, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    6. Maïmouna Diakite & Jean-François Brun & Souleymane Diarra & Nasser Ary Tanimoune, 2017. "The effects of tax coordination on the tax revenue mobilization in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)," CERDI Working papers halshs-01535104, HAL.
    7. International Monetary Fund, 1996. "Bahamas: Recent Economic Developments," IMF Staff Country Reports 1996/126, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Mario Mansour, 2015. "Tax Policy in MENA Countries: Looking Back and Forward," IMF Working Papers 2015/098, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Emilio Albi & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez (ed.), 2011. "The Elgar Guide to Tax Systems," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14436.
    10. Keen, Michael & Smith, Stephen, 2006. "VAT Fraud and Evasion: What Do We Know and What Can Be Done?," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 59(4), pages 861-887, December.
    11. Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & Richard M. Bird, 2011. "Value-Added Tax: Onward and Upward?," Chapters, in: Emilio Albi & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez (ed.), The Elgar Guide to Tax Systems, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Adisa Bazak Lungu & Charles Muwe Mungule Phd, 2023. "An Analysis of the Value Added Tax (Vat) Gap in Zambia," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(4), pages 752-762, April.
    2. Alain Babatounde & Bart Capeau & Romain Houssa, 2023. "Welfare effects of indirect tax policies in West Africa," DeFiPP Working Papers 2301, University of Namur, Development Finance and Public Policies.
    3. Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa, 2020. "Capacity Support for Domestic Revenue Mobilization - The case of Belgian development cooperation and partner countries," BeFinD Working Papers 0131, University of Namur, Department of Economics.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mattéo Godin & Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa, 2017. "The Performance of VAT in DGD-partner countries," BeFinD Working Papers 0116, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    2. Sijbren Cnossen, 2015. "Mobilizing VAT revenues in African countries," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 22(6), pages 1077-1108, December.
    3. Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa, 2017. "Institutional quality, economic development and the performance of VAT," BeFinD Working Papers 0115, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    4. Hoseini, Mohammad, 2015. "Value-Addes Tax and Shadow Economy : the Role of Input-Output Linkages (revision of CentER Discussion Paper 2013-036)," Other publications TiSEM 56358907-5e47-49f6-9a74-f, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Iswahyudi, Heru, 2018. "Where has the money gone?: The case of Value Added Tax revenue performance in Indonesia," MPRA Paper 89876, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Combey, Adama, 2020. "Evaluation De L’Ecart De Tva Au Togo [Evaluation Of The Vat Gap In Togo]," MPRA Paper 101478, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Mukherjee, Sacchidananda & Rao, R. Kavita, 2017. "Determinants of Registration of Unincorporated Enterprises under State Value Added Tax Act in India," MPRA Paper 81236, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Jon Bakija & Ivan Badinski, 2014. "Evidence on the Responsiveness of Export-Related VAT Evasion to VAT Rates in the EU," Department of Economics Working Papers 2014-06, Department of Economics, Williams College.
    9. Bibek Adhikari, 2015. "When Does Introducing a Value-Added Tax Increase Economic Efficiency? Evidence from the Synthetic Control Method," Working Papers 1524, Tulane University, Department of Economics, revised Nov 2015.
    10. Mohammad Hoseini, 2020. "Value‐Added Tax, Input–Output Linkages and Informality," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 87(347), pages 813-843, July.
    11. Leonce Ndikumana, 2014. "International Tax Cooperation and Implications of Globalization," CDP Background Papers 024, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    12. Christou Anna & Eriotis Nikolaos & Lomis Ioannis & Papadakis Spyros & Thalassinos Eleftherios, 2021. "The Greek VAT Gap: The Influence of Individual Economic Sectors," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4B), pages 851-882.
    13. Antonio Gómez Gómez-Plana & Pedro Pascual Arzoz, 2011. "Fraude fiscal e IVA en España: incidencia en un modelo de equilibrio general," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 199(4), pages 9-52, December.
    14. Luca Barbone & Misha V. Belkindas & Leon Bettendorf & Richard Bird & Mikhail Bonch-Osmolovskiy & Michael Smart, 2013. "Study to quantify and analyse the VAT Gap in the EU-27 Member States," CASE Network Reports 0116, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
    15. Richard M. Bird, 2014. "Foreign advice and tax policy in developing countries," Chapters, in: Richard M. Bird & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez (ed.), Taxation and Development: The Weakest Link?, chapter 4, pages 103-144, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    16. Richard M. Bird, 2013. "Below the Salt: Decentralizing Value-Added Taxes," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1302, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    17. Richard M. Bird, 2012. "Taxation and Development: What Have We Learned from Fifty Years of Research?," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1202, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    18. Iris Claus & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez & VIoleta Vulovic, 2012. "Government Fiscal Policies and Redistribution in Asian Countries," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1213, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    19. Luca Barbone & Richard Bird & Jaime Vázquez Caro, 2012. "The Costs of VAT: A Review of the Literature," CASE Network Reports 0106, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
    20. Hybka Małgorzata Magdalena, 2018. "Collection Dilemmas and Performance Measures of the Value-Added Tax in Germany and Poland," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 54(2), pages 110-121, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Value-Added Tax (VAT); Domestic Resources Mobilization (DRM); Tax Reform; Institutional Quality; Economic development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nam:befdwp:0122. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: François-Xavier Ledru (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fsfunbe.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.