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Tax Evasion, Tax Avoidance and Development Finance

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  • Alex Cobham (QEH)

Abstract

Domestic revenue mobilisation is key to sustainable development finance - only self-sufficiency will allow the development of fully-functioning states with flourishing systems of political representation and economies reflecting societies' expressed preferences in regard to, for example, inequality. Tax evasion and tax avoidance are important insofar as they affect both the volume and nature of government finances. This paper estimates the total cost to developing countries of these leakages as US$385 billion annually, dwarfing any potential increase in aid. An additional result suggests that doubling aid to low income countries may have little positive revenue effect but damage the strength of political representation, if full trade liberalisation is simultaneously required.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Cobham (QEH), "undated". "Tax Evasion, Tax Avoidance and Development Finance," QEH Working Papers qehwps129, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:qeh:qehwps:qehwps129
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    File URL: http://workingpapers.qeh.ox.ac.uk/RePEc/qeh/qehwps/qehwps129.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Sikka, Prem, 2010. "Smoke and mirrors: Corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 153-168.
    2. Dries Lesage, 2008. "Global Taxation Governance after the 2002 UN Monterrey Conference," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 281-294.
    3. Basu, Arnab K. & Chau, Nancy H. & Siddique, Zahra, 2011. "Tax Evasion, Minimum Wage Non-Compliance and Informality," IZA Discussion Papers 6228, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. European Commission, 2011. "Tax Reforms in EU Member States 2011: tax policy challenges for economic growth and fiscal sustainability," Taxation Papers 28, Directorate General Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission.
    5. Ortiz, Isabel, & Cummins, Matthew. & Karunanethy, Kalaivani., 2015. "Fiscal space for social protection and the SDGs options to expand social investments in 187 countries," ILO Working Papers 994877663402676, International Labour Organization.
    6. Cooper, Maggie & Nguyen, Quyen T.K., 2020. "Multinational enterprises and corporate tax planning: A review of literature and suggestions for a future research agenda," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    7. Salar, Laleena & Zaman, Khalid & Khilji, Bashir Ahmad & Khan, Muhammad Mushtaq & Lodhi, Mohammad Saeed, 2013. "The consequences of revenue gap in Pakistan: Unveiling the reality," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 281-294.
    8. Sikka, Prem & Willmott, Hugh, 2010. "The dark side of transfer pricing: Its role in tax avoidance and wealth retentiveness," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 342-356.
    9. Shivneil Kumar Raj & Mohammed Riaz Azam, 2019. "Journal of Arts and Humanities(JAH)1Anti-Avoidance and Tax Laws: A Case of Fijii," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 9(3), pages 1-20, March.
    10. Jayati Ghosh, 2007. "Macroeconomics and Growth Policies," Policy Notes 2, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    11. Santiago Tobón Zapata & Juan Carlos Muñoz-Mora, 2013. "Impuesto predial y desarrollo económico. Aproximación a la relación entre el impuesto predial y la inversión de los municipios de Antioquia," Revista Ecos de Economía, Universidad EAFIT, June.
    12. Nikopour, Hesam & Shah Habibullah, Muzafar, 2010. "Shadow Economy and Poverty," MPRA Paper 23599, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Petr Janský, 2015. "Updating the Rich Countries’ Commitment to Development Index: How They Help Poorer Ones Through Curbing Illicit Financial Flows," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 43-65, October.
    14. repec:nam:befdwp:10 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Carlos Bethencourt & Lars Kunze, 2019. "Tax evasion, social norms, and economic growth," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 21(2), pages 332-346, April.
    16. Alex Reuben Kira, 2017. "An Evaluation of Governments’ Initiatives in Enhancing Small Taxpayers’ Voluntary Tax Compliance in Developing Countries," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 7(1), pages 253-267, January.
    17. Kemme, David M. & Parikh, Bhavik & Steigner, Tanja, 2020. "Tax Morale and International Tax Evasion," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(3).
    18. Ramón E. López & Eugenio Figueroa, 2011. "Fiscal policy in Chile: Hindering sustainable development by favoring myopic growth," Working Papers wp346, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    19. Shivneil Kumar Raj & Mohammed Riaz Azam, 2019. "Journal of Arts and Humanities(JAH)1Anti-Avoidance and Tax Laws: A Case of Fijii," International Journal of Business and Social Research, MIR Center for Socio-Economic Research, vol. 9(3), pages 1-20, March.
    20. Ali, Merima & Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge & Sjursen, Ingrid Hoem, 2014. "To Pay or Not to Pay? Citizens’ Attitudes Toward Taxation in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 828-842.
    21. Yusuf Mohammed Alkali & Abdulsalam Masud & Almustapha A. Aliyu, 2021. "Mediating role of trust in the relationship between public governance quality and tax compliance," Bussecon Review of Social Sciences (2687-2285), Bussecon International Academy, vol. 3(4), pages 11-22, October.
    22. Jozef Pacolet & Joris Vanormelingen, 2015. "Illicit Financial Flows: concepts and first macro estimates for Belgium and its 18 preferred partner countries," BeFinD Working Papers 0110, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    23. Lucia Mihóková & Radovan Dráb & Andrea Kralik, 2019. "Determinants of Short-term Fiscal Imbalance: the Role of Tax Evasion as Fiscal Determinant Within European Countries," Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Mendel University Press, vol. 67(2), pages 515-534.
    24. Duccio Gamannossi degl’Innocenti & Matthew D. Rablen, 2017. "Tax avoidance and optimal income tax enforcement," IFS Working Papers W17/08, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    25. Shari Spiegel, 2007. "Macroeconomics and Growth Policies," Policy Notes 1, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.

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