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The Origins of Voluntary Compliance: Attitudes toward Taxation in Urban Nigeria

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  • Bodea, Cristina
  • LeBas, Adrienne

Abstract

Voluntary compliance is an important aspect of strong tax regimes, but there is limited understanding of how social norms favoring compliance emerge. Using novel data from urban Nigeria, where tax enforcement is weak, this article shows that individuals with a positive experience of state services delivery are more likely to express belief in an unconditioned citizen obligation to pay tax. In addition to support for this fiscal exchange mechanism, social context is consequential. Where individuals have access to community-provided goods, which may substitute for effective state services provision, they are less likely to adopt pro-compliance norms. Finally, the article shows that norm adoption increases tax payment. These findings have broad implications for literatures on state formation, taxation and public goods provision.

Suggested Citation

  • Bodea, Cristina & LeBas, Adrienne, 2016. "The Origins of Voluntary Compliance: Attitudes toward Taxation in Urban Nigeria," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(1), pages 215-238, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:bjposi:v:46:y:2016:i:01:p:215-238_00
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    Cited by:

    1. van der Windt, Peter & Humphreys, Macartan & Medina, Lily & Timmons, Jeffrey F. & Voors, Maarten, 2019. "Citizen Attitudes Toward Traditional and State Authorities: Substitutes or Complements?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 52(12), pages 1810-1840.
    2. Adrienne LeBas, 2017. "Who trusts? Ethnicity, integration, and attitudes toward elected officials in urban Nigeria," WIDER Working Paper Series 126, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Vincent, Rose Camille, 2023. "Vertical taxing rights and tax compliance norms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 443-467.
    4. Jean Raoul NKOUDOU BENGONO & Boniface EPO NGAH & Simon Pierre ONANA, 2023. "Effets des transferts intergouvernementaux sur la mobilisation des recettes publiques locales : cas des communes camerounaises," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 58, pages 83-101.
    5. Takaaki Masaki, 2016. "The impact of intergovernmental transfers on local revenue generation in Africa: Evidence from Tanzania," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-113, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Pablo Balán & Augustin Bergeron & Gabriel Tourek & Jonathan L. Weigel, 2022. "Local Elites as State Capacity: How City Chiefs Use Local Information to Increase Tax Compliance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(3), pages 762-797, March.
    7. Grossman, Shelby & C. Holland, Alisha, 2023. "The collusion trap: Theory with evidence from informal markets in Lagos, Nigeria," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    8. Masaki, Takaaki, 2018. "The impact of intergovernmental transfers on local revenue generation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 173-186.
    9. Jonathan L. Weigel & Elie Kabue Ngindu, 2023. "The taxman cometh: Pathways out of a low‐capacity trap in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(360), pages 1362-1396, October.
    10. Weigel, Jonathan, 2020. "The participation dividend of taxation: how citizens in Congo engage more with the state when it tries to tax them," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 104561, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    11. Adrienne LeBas, 2017. "Who trusts?: Ethnicity, integration, and attitudes toward elected officials in urban Nigeria," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-126, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. McCulloch, Neil & Moerenhout, Tom & Yang, Joonseok, 2021. "Fuel subsidy reform and the social contract in Nigeria: A micro-economic analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    13. Takaaki Masaki, 2016. "The impact of intergovernmental transfers on local revenue generation in Africa: Evidence from Tanzania," WIDER Working Paper Series 113, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. Leah Gatt & Oliver Owen, 2018. "Direct Taxation and State–Society Relations in Lagos, Nigeria," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 49(5), pages 1195-1222, September.
    15. Carvalho Junior, P.H.B. & De Cesare, C., 2022. "Who pays the property tax? Evidence from Brazil," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).

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