The revenue efficiency consequences of the announcement of a tax transition reform: The case of WAEMU countries

Does the revenue replacement strategy of border taxes with domestic revenue collection (tax transition) increase efficiency in collecting revenues in developing countries? This article attempted to answer the question, by assessing the efficiency consequences of announcing a tax transition reform program in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) countries. Through an impact evaluation framework with propensity score matching and synthetic control method, we find that the announcement of this reform in WAEMU countries increases efficiency in mobilizing resources at the community level as compared to their counterfactual. Efficient mobilization of resources increases by 4.3% around the reform agenda and is achieved 3 years following the announcement of the reform in these countries. We also find that the achieved efficiency in mobilizing resources goes hand in hand with an improvement in tax‐oriented Doing Business indicators at the community level, by increasing the contribution rate score of firms by near 22 scales and reducing collection time scores by 4.2 scales as compared to the best Doing Business practices on these indicators. The article also evidenced that the reform is overall working through the tax discipline channel rather than tax morale in these countries. Furthermore, having adopted value added tax (VAT), implemented semi‐autonomous revenue agencies (SARAs) and large taxpayers' units (LTUs) contribute to foster the revenue efficiency effect of the reform in above‐mentioned countries.