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Cross-Border Shopping and the Sales Tax: A Reexamination of Food Purchases in West Virginia

Author

Listed:
  • Mark Skidmore

    (Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater)

  • Mehmet Serkan Tosun

    (Bureau of Business and Economic Research, College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University)

Abstract

In this paper we present new evidence of cross-border shopping in response to sales taxation. While several instructive studies provide estimates of the cross-border shopping effect, we utilize a unique opportunity to evaluate the effect of a large discrete change in sales tax policy. Using county level data on food income and sales tax data for West Virginia over the 1982-2000 period we estimate that for every one-percentage point increase in the county relative price ratio due to sales tax change, the per capita food income decreases by about 0.7 percent. Our estimates indicate that food sales fell in West Virginia border counties by about 4 percent as a result of the imposition of the 6 percent sales tax on food in 1989.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Skidmore & Mehmet Serkan Tosun, 2005. "Cross-Border Shopping and the Sales Tax: A Reexamination of Food Purchases in West Virginia," Working Papers 05-07, UW-Whitewater, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:uww:wpaper:05-07
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    JEL classification:

    • P25 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

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