IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/h/nbr/nberch/14906.html

Technological Adoption and Taxation: The Case of China’s Golden Tax Reform

In: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 38

Author

Listed:
  • Haichao Fan
  • Yu Liu
  • Nancy Qian
  • Jaya Wen

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of Phase 2 of the Golden Tax Project on the value-added tax (VAT) in China. The reform introduced computer-generated invoices and electronic transaction linking. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we show that the reform increased VAT by reducing exaggerated VAT deductions. The introduction of the new digital technology had large positive effects on Chinese fiscal capacity. VAT gains from the reform explain approximately 13.7% of VAT growth during 1998–2007.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Haichao Fan & Yu Liu & Nancy Qian & Jaya Wen, 2024. "Technological Adoption and Taxation: The Case of China’s Golden Tax Reform," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 38, pages 101-122, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberch:14906
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.nber.org/chapters/c14906.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Henrik Jacobsen Kleven & Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Emmanuel Saez, 2016. "Why Can Modern Governments Tax So Much? An Agency Model of Firms as Fiscal Intermediaries," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 83(330), pages 219-246, April.
    2. Hongbin Cai & Qiao Liu, 2009. "Competition and Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from Chinese Industrial Firms," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(537), pages 764-795, April.
    3. Timmer, Marcel P. & Los, Bart & Stehrer, Robert & de Vries, Gaaitzen J., 2016. "An Anatomy of the Global Trade Slowdown based on the WIOD 2016 Release," GGDC Research Memorandum GD-162, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    4. Bachas,Pierre Jean & Soto,Mauricio, 2018. "Not(ch) your average tax system : corporate taxation under weak enforcement," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8524, The World Bank.
    5. Gordon, Roger & Li, Wei, 2009. "Tax structures in developing countries: Many puzzles and a possible explanation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(7-8), pages 855-866, August.
    6. Chen, Shawn Xiaoguang, 2017. "The effect of a fiscal squeeze on tax enforcement: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 62-76.
    7. Yongzheng Liu & Jie Mao, 2019. "How Do Tax Incentives Affect Investment and Productivity? Firm-Level Evidence from China," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 261-291, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Adrienne Lees & Maria Jouste & Nicholas Musoke & Joseph Okello Ayo, 2025. "The panopticon taxman: the impact of e-invoicing on VAT compliance in Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2025-112, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Qian, Nancy & Liu, Yu & Wen, Jaya & Fan, Haichao, 2018. "The Dynamic Effects of Computerized VAT Invoices on Chinese Manufacturing Firms," CEPR Discussion Papers 12786, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Haichao Fan & Yu Liu & Nancy Qian & Jaya Wen, 2018. "Computerizing VAT Invoices in China," NBER Working Papers 24414, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Xin Liu & Yongzheng Liu, 2021. "Land lease revenue windfalls and local tax policy in China," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(2), pages 405-433, April.
    4. Chengrui Xiao, 2020. "Intergovernmental revenue relations, tax enforcement and tax shifting: evidence from China," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(1), pages 128-152, February.
    5. Chen, Shawn Xiaoguang, 2017. "The effect of a fiscal squeeze on tax enforcement: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 62-76.
    6. Marcelo Bergolo & Gabriel Burdin & Mauricio De Rosa & Matias Giaccobasso & Martín Leites, 2019. "Tax bunching at the Kink in the Presence of Low Capacity of Enforcement: Evidence From Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 19-05, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    7. Zhao, Renjie & Zhang, Jiakai, 2022. "Rent-tax substitution and its impact on firms: Evidence from housing purchase limits policy in China," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    8. Li, Jianjun & Wang, Xuan & Wu, Yaping, 2020. "Can government improve tax compliance by adopting advanced information technology? Evidence from the Golden Tax Project III in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 384-397.
    9. Fang, Hongsheng & Su, Yunqing & Lu, Weijun, 2022. "Tax incentive and corporate financial performance: Evidence from income tax revenue sharing reform in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Li, Lixing & Liu, Kevin Zhengcheng & Nie, Zhuo & Xi, Tianyang, 2021. "Evading by any means? VAT enforcement and payroll tax evasion in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 770-784.
    11. Feng, Chen & Ye, Yongwei & Bai, Caiquan, 2023. "Tax enforcement and corporate financial irregularities: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    12. Avdiu, Besart, 2018. "Optimal capital and labor income taxation in small and developing countries," MPRA Paper 84884, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Xiaoxue Li & Liu Tian & Jing Xu, 2020. "Missing social security contributions: the role of contribution rate and corporate income tax rate," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(6), pages 1453-1484, December.
    14. Jia, Junxue & Ding, Siying & Liu, Yongzheng, 2020. "Decentralization, incentives, and local tax enforcement," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    15. Xiang, Junyi & Zhu, Ling & Kong, Dongmin, 2023. "Labor cost and corporate tax avoidance," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 338-358.
    16. Lin, Gaoyi & Ma, Liuding & Liao, Hui & Li, Jingying, 2024. "Nothing comes for free: Evidence from a tax reduction of China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    17. Cao, Chunfang & Li, Xiaoyang & Xia, Changyuan, 2021. "The complicit role of local government authorities in corporate bribery: Evidence from a tax collection reform in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    18. Tang, Weizheng & Wang, Yanping & Zhang, Lihang, 2025. "The effect of tax revenue targets on firms’ tax burden: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 108(PA).
    19. Sutirtha Bagchi & Libor Du ek, 2023. "Tax Withholding and the Size of Government," Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series 59, Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics.
    20. Beck, T.H.L. & Hoseini, M., 2014. "Informality and Access to Finance : Evidence from India," Other publications TiSEM 00e890f4-bd1a-46ba-9064-7, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberch:14906. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.