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Status Seeking Taxpayer and Tax Evasion

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  • Sugata Marjit
  • Koushik Hati
  • Lei Yang

Abstract

This paper explores whether tax compliance would be affected if the tax payers are “status” seekers. If relative income is a symbol of relative status in a society, status concerned individuals would evade paying taxes more relative to the case where status is not a concern. However, such an outcome would not hold if the symbol of relative status is relative consumption of the “status” good and not relative income. We generalize the scenario by introducing a measure of relative status which depends on both relative income and consumption of the status good.

Suggested Citation

  • Sugata Marjit & Koushik Hati & Lei Yang, 2025. "Status Seeking Taxpayer and Tax Evasion," CESifo Working Paper Series 12193, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12193
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fafchamps, Marcel & Shilpi, Forhad, 2008. "Subjective welfare, isolation, and relative consumption," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 43-60, April.
    2. Hamid Beladi & Sugata Marjit & Koushik Kumar Hati, 2024. "Growth impact of status seeking behavior: A counter example," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 398-406, March.
    3. Van Long, Ngo & Shimomura, Koji, 2004. "Relative wealth, status-seeking, and catching-up," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 529-542, April.
    4. Slemrod, Joel & Yitzhaki, Shlomo, 2002. "Tax avoidance, evasion, and administration," Handbook of Public Economics, in: A. J. Auerbach & M. Feldstein (ed.), Handbook of Public Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 22, pages 1423-1470, Elsevier.
    5. Sugata Marjit & Arijit Mukherjee & Koushik Kumar Hati, 2015. "Relative Social Status and Conflicting Measures of Poverty: A Behavioural Analytical Model," Discussion Papers 2015-02, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    6. Epstein, Gil S. & Gang, Ira N., 2024. "Herding, taxpayer's rent seeking and endemic corruption," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 533-546.
    7. Easterlin, Richard A, 2001. "Income and Happiness: Towards an Unified Theory," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 111(473), pages 465-484, July.
    8. Goerke, Laszlo, 2013. "Relative consumption and tax evasion," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 52-65.
    9. Hamid Beladi & Sugata Marjit & Reza Oladi & Lei Yang, 2021. "Malnutrition in the shadow of economic growth," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 500-514, February.
    10. Marjit, Sugata & Mishra, Suryaprakash & Mitra, Sandip, 2021. "Tax evasion by tax deferment: Sham litigation with an informal credit market," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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