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Comparative fiscal illusion: a fiscal illusion index for the European Union

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  • Roberto Dell’Anno
  • Brian Dollery

Abstract

This paper provides an empirical analysis of fiscal illusion by estimating an index of fiscal illusion for 28 European countries over the period 1995–2008 employing a structural equation approach. Using Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes models, the paper investigates the main indicators of fiscal illusion and develops an index of fiscal illusion. It concludes that the chief determinants for the deployment of fiscal illusion strategies are the share of self-employment on total employment, the educational level of citizens, and the size of tax burden. At the same time, policy makers attempt to ‘conceal’ the real tax burden by means of debt illusion, fiscal drag, wage withholding taxes, as well as taxes on labour. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

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  • Roberto Dell’Anno & Brian Dollery, 2014. "Comparative fiscal illusion: a fiscal illusion index for the European Union," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 937-960, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:46:y:2014:i:3:p:937-960
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-013-0701-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Pedro Henrique Martins Prado & Cleomar Gomes da Silva, 2020. "Wagner’s Law and Fiscal Illusion: An analysis of state government finances in Brazil," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 628-643, May.
    2. Andreas Buehn & Roberto Dell’Anno & Friedrich Schneider, 2018. "Exploring the dark side of tax policy: an analysis of the interactions between fiscal illusion and the shadow economy," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 1609-1630, June.
    3. Antonio Abatemarco & Roberto Dell’Anno, 2020. "Fiscal illusion and progressive taxation with retrospective voting," Economic and Political Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 246-273, April.
    4. Hailin Chen & Friedrich Schneider & Qunli Sun, 2018. "Size, Determinants, and Consequences of Corruption in China's Provinces: The MIMIC Approach," CESifo Working Paper Series 7175, CESifo.
    5. Francois Facchini, 2018. "What Are the Determinants of Public Spending? An Overview of the Literature," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 46(4), pages 419-439, December.
    6. Ankie Scott-Joseph, 2022. "Debt financing and fiscal illusion: evidence from Caribbean states," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(9), pages 1-25, September.
    7. Paraskevi Koufopoulou & Colin C. Williams & Athanassios Vozikis & Kyriakos Souliotis & Antonios Samprakos, 2021. "Estimating Shadow Economy Size in Greece 2000 - 2018: A Flexible MIMIC Approach," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 71(3-4), pages 23-47, July-Dece.
    8. Schnellenbach, Jan & Schubert, Christian, 2015. "Behavioral political economy: A survey," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 40(PB), pages 395-417.
    9. Majid Maddah & Fozieh Jeyhoon-Tabar, 2016. "Studying the Flypaper Effect in the Provinces of Iran (2000-2013)," Iranian Economic Review (IER), Faculty of Economics,University of Tehran.Tehran,Iran, vol. 20(3), pages 339-354, Summer.
    10. Eisl, Andreas, 2017. "Explaining variation in public debt: A quantitative analysis of the effects of governance," MaxPo Discussion Paper Series 17/1, Max Planck Sciences Po Center on Coping with Instability in Market Societies (MaxPo).
    11. Abbott, Andrew & Jones, Philip, 2021. "Government response to increased demand for public services: The cyclicality of government health expenditures in the OECD," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    12. Schnellenbach, Jan & Schubert, Christian, 2014. "Behavioral public choice: A survey," Freiburg Discussion Papers on Constitutional Economics 14/03, Walter Eucken Institut e.V..
    13. Andreas Eisl, 2017. "Explaining Variation in Public Debt: A Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Governance," Sciences Po publications 17/1, Sciences Po.
    14. Hailin Chen & Friedrich Schneider & Qunli Sun, 2020. "Measuring the size of the shadow economy in 30 provinces of China over 1995–2016: The MIMIC approach," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 427-453, August.
    15. Andrew Abbott & Philip Jones, 2016. "Fiscal Illusion and Cyclical Government Expenditure: State Government Expenditure in the United States," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 63(2), pages 177-193, May.
    16. Goel, Rajeev K. & Saunoris, James W. & Schneider, Friedrich, 2019. "Drivers of the underground economy for over a century: A long term look for the United States," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 95-106.
    17. Ye Yuan & Ming Li & Congshan Tian & Yun Xu, 2023. "Measurements and Influencing Factors of New Rural Collective Economies’ Resilience toward Mountain Disasters in Indigent Areas: A Case Study of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-22, November.
    18. Andreas Eisl, 2017. "Explaining Variation in Public Debt," Working Papers hal-02187805, HAL.
    19. Andrew Abbott & Philip Jones, 2021. "The cyclicality of government foreign-aid expenditure: voter awareness in “good” times and in “bad”," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 97-117, January.
    20. Aziz N. Berdiev & James W. Saunoris, 2023. "The case for independence: Does central bank independence curb the spread of the underground economy?," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(3), pages 407-435, August.
    21. Facchini, Francois, 2014. "The determinants of public spending: a survey in a methodological perspective," MPRA Paper 53006, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Soldatos, Gerasimos T., 2015. "An Anti-Austerity Policy Recipe against Debt Accumulation in the Presence of Hidden Economy," MPRA Paper 69911, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    23. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/67pdgvv1o1924au1fvpb4bng12 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Wang, Xue & Bohn, Frank & Veiga, Francisco José, 2023. "When do more selfish politicians manipulate less, not more?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fiscal illusion; Financial illusion; MIMIC model ; European countries; H3; H8; 052;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H8 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe
    • H3 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents

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