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Tax evasion, social norms, and economic growth

Author

Listed:
  • Carlos Bethencourt
  • Lars Kunze

Abstract

We propose a theoretical model to account for the negative relationship between tax evasion and economic development. More precisely, we integrate tax morale into a dynamic OLG model of tax evasion. Tax morale is modeled as a social norm for tax compliance. We show that accounting for such nonpecuniary costs of evasion may explain (a) why the share of evaded taxes over GDP decreases when countries grow and (b) that tax morale is positively correlated with the level of GDP per capita. Finally, a higher tax rate increases aggregate evasion and the number of evaders when taxpayers decisions are interdependent.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jpbect:v:21:y:2019:i:2:p:332-346
    DOI: 10.1111/jpet.12346
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    Cited by:

    1. Alm James & Barreto Raul A., 2024. "Trust in Government in a Changing World: Shocks, Tax Evasion, and Economic Growth," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 24(1), pages 439-487, January.
    2. Gaetano Carmeci & Luciano Mauro & Fabio Privileggi, 2021. "Growth maximizing government size, social capital, and corruption," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 23(3), pages 438-461, June.
    3. Réda Marakbi & Patrick Villieu, 2020. "Corruption, tax evasion, and seigniorage in a monetary endogenous growth model," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(6), pages 2019-2050, December.
    4. Guy Meunier & Ingmar Schumacher, 2020. "The importance of considering optimal government policy when social norms matter for the private provision of public goods," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(3), pages 630-655, June.
    5. Oyinlola, Mutiu A. & Adedeji, Abdulfatai A. & Bolarinwa, Modupe O. & Olabisi, Nafisat, 2020. "Governance, domestic resource mobilization, and inclusive growth in sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 68-88.
    6. Opeoluwa Adeniyi Adeosun & Olumide S. Ayodele & Mosab I. Tabash & Suhaib Anagreh, 2023. "Resource mobilisation, institution and inclusive growth in Africa: Evidence from spatial analysis," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 91(1), pages 28-67, March.
    7. Dzhumashev, Ratbek & Levaggi, Rosella & Menoncin, Francesco, 2023. "Optimal tax enforcement with productive public inputs," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    8. Gloria Alarcón-García & José Manuel Mayor Balsas & Edgardo Arturo Ayala Gaytán, 2025. "Tax Compliance and Conditional Cooperation: A Study Based on the Dense Social Trust of Young People," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Fatica, Serena & Gregori, Wildmer Daniel, 2020. "How much profit shifting do European banks do?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 536-551.
    10. A. Athira & P. J. Jijo Lukose, 2024. "The Increasing Trend in Effective Tax Rates in India: Role of Macroeconomic Factors, Tax Policy Changes and Firm Characteristics," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 23(3), pages 279-305, September.
    11. Li, Shihan & Li, Si & Liu, Qingfu & Wei, Xiao, 2025. "Still water runs deep: Soft power in chinese prefectures and municipalities," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    12. Rabah Amir & Myrna Wooders, 2021. "Introduction to the special issue on markets, policies, and economic design: Theory and experiments," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 23(5), pages 765-771, October.
    13. Jaylson Jair da Silveira & Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Leonardo Barros Torres, 2025. "Persistence and Pervasiveness of Tax Evasion: An Evolutionary Analytical Framework," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 17(2), pages 1-87, February.
    14. Leonardo Barros Torres & Gilberto Tadeu Lima & Jaylson Jair da Silveira, 2024. "Endogenous Tax Compliance and Macroeconomic Performance Driven by Satisficing Evolutionary Dynamics," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2024_10, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    15. Giovanna Vallanti & Giuseppina Gianfreda, 2021. "Informality, regulation and productivity: do small firms escape EPL through shadow employment?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1383-1412, October.
    16. Dimitrios Varvarigos, 2017. "Cultural norms, the persistence of tax evasion, and economic growth," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 63(4), pages 961-995, April.
    17. Bernardo Guimaraes & Caio Machado & Ana E. Pereira, 2020. "Dynamic coordination with timing frictions: Theory and applications," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(3), pages 656-697, June.
    18. Bethencourt, Carlos, 2022. "Crime and social expenditure: A political economic approach," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    19. Bethencourt, Carlos & Kunze, Lars, 2020. "Social norms and economic growth in a model with labor and capital income tax evasion," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 170-182.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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