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The Ethics Of Tax Evasion: A Survey Of Hispanic Opinion

Author

Listed:
  • Robert W. McGee,
  • Arsen M. Djatej,
  • Robert H. S. Sarikas,

Abstract

The present paper is an empirical study, the goal of which is to determine the strength of various arguments that have been used to justify tax evasion and to determine whether results differ based on certain demographic variables. A survey instrument was constructed using a seven-point Likert and distributed to 316 business students at a university in South Texas. The 18 arguments were ranked in terms of strength, from strongest to weakest. Comparisons were also made according to gender, age, and academic major to determine if the viewpoints for these demographics were significantly different. Academic major was the only demographic variable where significant differences in opinion were found. For some of the 18 arguments justifying tax evasion, accounting students were significantly more averse to tax evasion than were business and economics majors. Some arguments justifying tax evasion were stronger than others. The strongest arguments for evading taxes were in cases where the government engaged in human rights abuses. Other strong arguments were in cases where the tax system was perceived as unfair, where tax rates were too high, where government officials were corrupt or where tax funds were not spent wisely.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert W. McGee, & Arsen M. Djatej, & Robert H. S. Sarikas,, 2012. "The Ethics Of Tax Evasion: A Survey Of Hispanic Opinion," Accounting & Taxation, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 4(1), pages 53-74.
    • Handle: RePEc:ibf:acttax:v:4:y:2012:i:1:p:53-74
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Reckers, Philip M.J. & Sanders, Debra L. & Roark, Stephen J., 1994. "The Influence of Ethical Attitudes on Taxpayer Compliance," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 47(4), pages 825-836, December.
    2. Robert McGee, 2006. "Three Views on the Ethics of Tax Evasion," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(1), pages 15-35, August.
    3. Joel Slemrod, 2007. "Cheating Ourselves: The Economics of Tax Evasion," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 21(1), pages 25-48, Winter.
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    5. Robert W. McGee, 2008. "Opinions on Tax Evasion in Asia," Springer Books, in: Robert W. McGee (ed.), Taxation and Public Finance in Transition and Developing Economies, chapter 17, pages 309-320, Springer.
    6. Robert McGee & Simon Ho & Annie Li, 2008. "A Comparative Study on Perceived Ethics of Tax Evasion: Hong Kong Vs the United States," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 77(2), pages 147-158, January.
    7. Robert W McGee, 2006. "The Ethics Of Tax Evasion: A Survey Of Romanian Business Students And Faculty," The IUP Journal of Public Finance, IUP Publications, vol. 0(2), pages 38-68, May.
    8. Robert W. McGee (ed.), 2012. "The Ethics of Tax Evasion," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-1-4614-1287-8, November.
    9. Robert W McGee, 2007. "Ethics and Tax Evasion in Asia," The IUP Journal of Public Finance, IUP Publications, vol. 0(2), pages 21-33, May.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Robertson Amoah & Samuel Yeboah Asuamah & Newman Amaning, 2014. "An Investigation into Tax Evasion in Ghana," International Journal of Empirical Finance, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 2(3), pages 115-122.
    2. Colin C Williams & Junhong Yang, 2017. "Tackling falsely-declared salaries in Bulgaria: evidence from a 2015 survey," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 3, pages 333-351, September.
    3. Robert W. McGee & Ken Devos & Serkan Benk, 2016. "Attitudes towards Tax Evasion in Turkey and Australia: A Comparative Study," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, March.
    4. Colin C. WILLIAMS & Josip FRANIC, 2017. "Tackling the illegitimate under-reporting of salaries in Southeast Europe: some lessons from a 2015 survey in Bulgaria, Croatia and FYR Macedonia," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 8, pages 5-28, June.
    5. Colin C. Williams & Slavko Bezeredi, 2018. "Evaluating Policy Approaches Towards Undeclared Work: Some Lessons from FYR of Macedonia," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 16(2), pages 171-187.
    6. Colin C. Williams, 2014. "Confronting the Shadow Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15370.
    7. Jaanika Merikull & Tairi Room & Karsten Staehr, 2013. "Perceptions of unreported economic activities in Baltic Firms. Individualistic and non-individualistic motives," Bank of Estonia Working Papers wp2012-8, Bank of Estonia, revised 04 Feb 2013.
    8. Robert McGee & Simon Ho & Annie Li, 2008. "A Comparative Study on Perceived Ethics of Tax Evasion: Hong Kong Vs the United States," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 77(2), pages 147-158, January.
    9. Hirt, Christian & Ortlieb, Renate, 2012. "Cultural standards of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Empirical findings and implications for strategic human resource management," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 17(2), pages 205-225.
    10. Gebhard Kirchgässner, 2011. "Tax Morale, Tax Evasion and the Shadow Economy," Chapters, in: Friedrich Schneider (ed.), Handbook on the Shadow Economy, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Colin C. Williams & Friedrich Schneider, 2016. "Measuring the Global Shadow Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 16551.
    12. Ross Adriana M. & McGee Robert W., 2011. "Attitudes toward Tax Evasion: A Demographic Study of Malaysia," Asian Journal of Law and Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 2(3), pages 1-51, October.
    13. Levenko, Natalia & Staehr, Karsten, 2023. "Self-reported tax compliance in post-transition Estonia," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    14. Khalil, Sandra & Sidani, Yusuf, 2020. "The influence of religiosity on tax evasion attitudes in Lebanon," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    15. Colin C Williams & Ioana Alexandra Horodnic, 2016. "An institutional theory of the informal economy: some lessons from the United Kingdom," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 43(7), pages 722-738, July.
    16. World Bank & International Finance Corporation, "undated". "Doing Business in the East African Community 2011," World Bank Publications - Reports 27390, The World Bank Group.
    17. Sorin Adrian Ciupitu & Daniela Tudorache, 2015. "Fiscal Pressure Causes Major Problems to Romanian Economy: Underground Economy and Corruption," Knowledge Horizons - Economics, Faculty of Finance, Banking and Accountancy Bucharest,"Dimitrie Cantemir" Christian University Bucharest, vol. 7(1), pages 128-130, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    tax evasion; Hispanic; gender; age; major; demographic;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • K34 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Tax Law
    • M4 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting

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