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Is The Value Added Tax Naturally Progressive?

Author

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  • Jenkins, Glenn P.
  • Jenkins, Hatice
  • Kuo, Chun-Yan

Abstract

A broad based consumption tax, such as a value added tax, is generally considered to be a regressive tax. This conclusion, however, has not taken into account the fact that in developing countries the commodities on which poor households spend most of their income, even if they are included in the legal tax base, are administratively impractical to tax. This paper employs a rich data set on household incomes and expenditures for the Dominican Republic. The data set covers 2042 goods and services purchased by households of different income and consumption levels. It also contains information on the type of establishment from which the items were purchased. With this information we estimate the effective rate of tax that has been paid on each item purchased by households. These estimations include the effect of the different rates of the tax compliance across households with different expenditure levels. The results of the study show that the burden of the current VAT in the Dominican Republic is progressive over all the quintiles of household expenditure. Furthermore, if the base of the VAT is made comprehensive, the estimated incidence of the burden of the VAT is still progressive over all the quintiles household expenditure.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenkins, Glenn P. & Jenkins, Hatice & Kuo, Chun-Yan, 2006. "Is The Value Added Tax Naturally Progressive?," Queen's Economics Department Working Papers 273535, Queen's University - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:quedwp:273535
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.273535
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    2. Pierre Bachas & Lucie Gadenne & Anders Jensen, 2024. "Informality, Consumption Taxes, and Redistribution," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(5), pages 2604-2634.
    3. Thomas,Alastair Geoffrey Arthur, 2024. "VAT Rate Structures in Theory and Practice," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10677, The World Bank.
    4. Artem Krasnov & Aizada Okanova & Yana Yeraliyeva & Maral Kozhakhmetova & Alma Karshalova & Madina Aitkazina, 2020. "Development of the financial policy of the Eurasian economic union countries: tax harmonization," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 8(1), pages 138-149, September.
    5. Asatryan, Zareh & Gomtsyan, David, 2020. "The incidence of VAT evasion," ZEW Discussion Papers 20-027, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    6. Mr. Michael Keen, 2012. "Taxation and Development: Again," IMF Working Papers 2012/220, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Arsić, Milojko & Altiparmakov, Nikola, 2013. "Equity aspects of VAT in emerging European countries: A case study of Serbia," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 171-186.
    8. Richard M. Bird, 2014. "Foreign advice and tax policy in developing countries," Chapters, in: Richard M. Bird & Jorge Martinez-Vazquez (ed.), Taxation and Development: The Weakest Link?, chapter 4, pages 103-144, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Keen, Michael & Lockwood, Ben, 2010. "The value added tax: Its causes and consequences," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 138-151, July.
    10. Alastair Thomas, 2022. "Reassessing the regressivity of the VAT," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(1), pages 23-38, March.
    11. Zhila Abshari & Glenn P. Jenkins & Chun-Yan Kuo & Mostafa Shahee, 2021. "Progressive Taxation versus Progressive Targeted Transfers in the Design of a Sustainable Value Added Tax System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-17, October.
    12. Joel Slemrod & Tejaswi Velayudhan, 2022. "The VAT at 100: A Retrospective Survey and Agenda for Future Research," Public Finance Review, , vol. 50(1), pages 4-32, January.
    13. de Quatrebarbes, Céline & Boccanfuso, Dorothée & Savard, Luc, 2016. "Beyond representative households: The macro–micro impact analysis of VAT designs applied to Niger," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 76-92.
    14. Christian E. Weller & Manita Rao, 2008. "Can Progressive Taxation Contribute to Economic Development?," Working Papers wp176, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
    15. Rodrigo Cubero & Ivanna Vladkova Hollar, 2010. "Equity and Fiscal Policy: The Income Distribution Effects of Taxation and Social Spending in Central America," IMF Working Papers 2010/112, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Mr. Ruud de Mooij & Mr. Shafik Hebous & Mr. Michael Keen, 2025. "Efficiency Aspects of the Value Added Tax," IMF Working Papers 2025/165, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Suresh Narayanan, 2014. "The Impact Of The Goods And Services Tax (Gst) In Malaysia: Lessons From Experiences Elsewhere (A Note)," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 59(02), pages 1-15.
    18. Mattéo Godin & Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa, 2017. "The Performance of VAT in DGD-partner countries," BeFinD Working Papers 0116, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    19. Céline DE QUATREBARBES & Luc SAVARD & Dorothée BOCCANFUSO, 2011. "Can the removal of VAT Exemptions support the Poor? The Case of Niger," Working Papers 201106, CERDI.
    20. Ozgur Emre Koc & Taha Bahadir Sarac & Neslihan Koc & Ugur Cicek, 2024. "The Effects of Taxes on Income Distribution Justice," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 14(6), pages 339-351, October.
    21. Michael Keen, 2009. "What Do (and Don't) We Know about the Value Added Tax? A Review of Richard M. Bird and Pierre-Pascal Gendron's The VAT in Developing and Transitional Countries," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(1), pages 159-170, March.
    22. Fikri R. Arrachman & Riatu M. Qibthiyyah, 2018. "The Relationship of VAT Rate and Revenues in the Case of Informality," Economics and Finance in Indonesia, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, vol. 64, pages 73-96, Juni.
    23. Janina Kotlinska & Marian Zukowski & Pawel Marzec & Jaroslaw Kuspit & Zdzislaw A. Blasiak, 2020. "Household Consumption and VAT Revenue in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 580-605.
    24. Céline de Quatrebarbes & Savard Luc & Boccanfuso Dorothée, 2011. "Can the suppression of VAT exemption support the poor? The case of Niger," EcoMod2011 3227, EcoMod.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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