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Global distribution of revenue loss from tax avoidance: Re-estimation and country results

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  • Alex Cobham
  • Petr Janský

Abstract

International corporate tax is an important source of government revenue, especially in lower-income countries. An important recent study of the scale of this problem was carried out by International Monetary Fund researchers Ernesto Crivelli, Ruud De Mooij, and Michael Keen. We first re-estimate their innovative model, and then explore the effects of introducing higher-quality revenue data from the ICTD-WIDER Government Revenue Database. Whereas Crivelli et al. report results for two country groups only, we present country-level results to make the most detailed estimates available.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Cobham & Petr Janský, 2017. "Global distribution of revenue loss from tax avoidance: Re-estimation and country results," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-55, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2017-55
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alex Cobham, Petr Janský, and Markus Meinzer, 2015. "The Financial Secrecy Index: Shedding New Light on the Geography of Secrecy - Working Paper 404," Working Papers 404, Center for Global Development.
    2. Gabriel Zucman, 2014. "Taxing across Borders: Tracking Personal Wealth and Corporate Profits," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(4), pages 121-148, Fall.
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    5. Prichard, Wilson & Cobham, Alex & Goodall, Andrew, 2014. "The ICTD Government Revenue Dataset," Working Papers 10250, Institute of Development Studies, International Centre for Tax and Development.
    6. Alex Cobham & Petr Janský & Markus Meinzer, 2015. "The Financial Secrecy Index: Shedding New Light on the Geography of Secrecy," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 91(3), pages 281-303, July.
    7. Clemens Fuest & Nadine Riedel, 2010. "Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance in Developing Countries: The Role of International Profit Shifting," Working Papers 1012, Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation.
    8. S. Abbas & Alexander Klemm, 2013. "A partial race to the bottom: corporate tax developments in emerging and developing economies," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(4), pages 596-617, August.
    9. Cobham, Alex & Loretz, Simon, 2014. "International Distribution of the Corporate Tax Base: Implications of Different Apportionment Factors under Unitary Taxation," Working Papers 11176, Institute of Development Studies, International Centre for Tax and Development.
    10. Kimberly A. Clausing, 2016. "The Effect of Profit Shifting on the Corporate Tax Base in the United States and Beyond," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 69(4), pages 905-934, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Saila Stausholm & Petr Janský & Marek Šedivý, 2022. "Illicit financial flows and country-by-country reporting in extractive industries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-76, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Vincent Vicard, 2019. "The Exorbitant Privilege of High Tax Countries," Working Papers 2019-06, CEPII research center.
    3. Tony Addison & Miguel Niño†Zarazúa & Jukka Pirttilä, 2018. "Fiscal Policy, State Building and Economic Development," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 161-172, March.
    4. Richard M. Bird, 2018. "Are global taxes feasible?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(5), pages 1372-1400, October.
    5. Gaurav Shukla & Suesh Kumar Pandey & Shiu Lingam, 2020. "Tax Effects of Treaty Shopping and OECD’s BEPS Implications," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 9(2), pages 85-93, June.
    6. Palma, J. G., 2019. "The Chilean economy since the return to democracy in 1990. On how to get an emerging economy growing, and then sink slowly into the quicksand of a “middle-income trap”," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1991, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    7. Danuse Nerudova & Veronika Solilova & Marek Litzman & Petr Janský, 2020. "International tax planning within the structure of corporate entities owned by the shareholder‐individuals through Panama Papers destinations," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 38(1), pages 124-139, January.
    8. 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.
    9. Adamu Jibir & Musa Abdu & Tasiu Muhammad, 2020. "Analysis of Tax Compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Firm-Level Study," Econometric Research in Finance, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis, vol. 5(2), pages 119-142, December.
    10. Kurauone, Ophias & Kong, Yusheng & Sun, Huaping & Muzamhindo, Simbarashe & Famba, Takuriramunashe & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad, 2021. "The effects of International Financial Reporting Standards, auditing and legal enforcement on tax evasion: Evidence from 37 African countries," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    11. Bodo Herzog, 2021. "Sustainable Consumer Tax Evasion Theory under Information Inattention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-13, January.
    12. Tembo Nakamoto & Odile Rouhban & Yuichi Ikeda, 2019. "Location-Sector Analysis of International Profit Shifting on a Multilayer Ownership-Tax Network," Papers 1904.09165, arXiv.org.
    13. 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.
    14. Palma, J. G., 2019. "Why is inequality so unequal across the world? Part 2 The diversity of inequality in market income - and the increasing asymmetry between the distribution of income before and after taxes and transfer," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 19100, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    15. Tony Addison & Miguel Niño†Zarazúa & Jukka Pirttilä, 2018. "Fiscal Policy, State Building and Economic Development," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 161-172, March.
    16. Vincent Vicard, 2023. "Profit Shifting, Returns on Foreign Direct Investments and Investment Income Imbalances," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 71(2), pages 369-414, June.
    17. Alonso José Antonio, 2018. "Two Major Gaps in Global Governance: International Tax Cooperation and Sovereign Debt Crisis Resolution," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, December.

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