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How Distortive are Turnover Taxes? Evidence from Replacing Turnover Tax with VAT

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  • Bilicka, Katarzyna
  • Xing, Jing
  • Hou, Xipei

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate distortions created by turnover taxes. As a natural experiment, we explore a reform that replaced turnover taxes with value-added taxes for some service industries in China, while the taxation of manufacturing industries remained unchanged. The reform increased sales, R&D investment, and employment for affected service firms, which is primarily driven by outsourcing from downstream manufacturing firms. We document that smaller and less innovative manufacturing firms outsource more, and reallocation increases the quality of innovation for affected service firms. Our study provides new evidence on the negative impact of turnover taxes imposed on business inputs.

Suggested Citation

  • Bilicka, Katarzyna & Xing, Jing & Hou, Xipei, 2022. "How Distortive are Turnover Taxes? Evidence from Replacing Turnover Tax with VAT," CEPR Discussion Papers 16886, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16886
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Turnover tax; Value-added tax; Outsourcing; R&d investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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