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Does going cashless make you tax-rich? Evidence from India's demonetization experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Das, Satadru
  • Gadenne, Lucie
  • Nandi, Tushar
  • Warwick, Ross

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of electronic payments technology on firms' tax compliance in a large developing economy. We consider India's demonetization policy which, by limiting the availability of cash, led to a large increase in the use of electronic forms of payments. Using administrative data on firms' tax returns and variation in the strength of the demonetization shock across local areas, we find that greater use of electronic payments leads to firms reporting more sales to the tax authorities. This effect is strong enough to explain roughly half of the large (11 %) increase in reported sales observed during demonetization.

Suggested Citation

  • Das, Satadru & Gadenne, Lucie & Nandi, Tushar & Warwick, Ross, 2022. "Does going cashless make you tax-rich? Evidence from India's demonetization experiment," CEPR Discussion Papers 16891, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16891
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2022. "On the stabilizing role of cash for societies," IMFS Working Paper Series 167, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    3. Okunogbe, Oyebola M. & Tourek,Gabriel, 2023. "How Can Lower-Income Countries Collect More Taxes ? The Role of Technology, Tax Agents, and Politics," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10655, The World Bank.
    4. Chen, Yutong & Chiplunkar, Gaurav & Sekhri, Sheetal & Sen, Anirban & Seth, Aaditeshwar, 2025. "How do political connections of firms matter during an economic crisis?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    5. WU, Da-Kai & Ko, Yi-Chun, 2025. "Taxing the untaxed? The Lasting Effects of India's 2016 Demonetization on Tax Collection," AGI Working Paper Series 2025-16, Asian Growth Research Institute.
    6. Rainone, Edoardo, 2023. "Tax evasion policies and the demand for cash," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • O23 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Development
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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