IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ese/emodwp/em8-20.html

Financial disincentives to formal employment and tax-benefit systems in Latin America

Author

Listed:
  • Xavier Jara Tamayo, Holguer
  • Torres, Javier
  • Cecilia Deza Delgado, María
  • Oliva, Nicolás

Abstract

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it provides a comprehensive assessment of the financial cost informal workers would incur if they entered formal employment in five Latin American countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Then, it analyzes the extent to which formalizing informal workers would contribute to increase fiscal capacity. Our results show a wide variation in formalization tax rates ranging between 8.5 percent in Venezuela and 65 percent in Colombia. Formalization costs are particularly high for self-employed informal workers, and mainly driven by the burden associated to social insurance contribution payments. Interestingly, potential formalization of informal workers with the highest probability of being formal would allow capturing a substantial share of the additional tax revenue lost due to informality and would reduce inequality. The comparative analysis highlights the possibility of adopting strategies to reduce the financial burden to formalization of certain population groups in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Xavier Jara Tamayo, Holguer & Torres, Javier & Cecilia Deza Delgado, María & Oliva, Nicolás, 2020. "Financial disincentives to formal employment and tax-benefit systems in Latin America," EUROMOD Working Papers EM8/20, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:ese:emodwp:em8-20
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/files/working-papers/euromod/em8-20.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Johannes Koettl, 2013. "Does Formal Work Pay in Serbia? The Role of Labor Taxes and Social Benefit Design in Providing Disincentives for Formal Work," Economic Studies in Inequality, Social Exclusion, and Well-Being, in: Caterina Ruggeri Laderchi & Sara Savastano (ed.), Poverty and Exclusion in the Western Balkans, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 133-154, Springer.
    2. Koettl, Johannes & Weber, Michael, 2012. "Does Formal Work Pay? The Role of Labor Taxation and Social Benefit Design in the New EU Member States," IZA Discussion Papers 6313, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Holly Sutherland & Francesco Figari, 2013. "EUROMOD: the European Union tax-benefit microsimulation model," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 1(6), pages 4-26.
    4. Rafael La Porta & Andrei Shleifer, 2014. "Informality and Development," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(3), pages 109-126, Summer.
    5. David N Margolis, 2014. "By Choice and by Necessity: Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment in the Developing World," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 26(4), pages 419-436, September.
    6. Cristina Arancibia & Mariana Dondo & Xavier Jara & David Macas & Nicolás Oliva & Rebeca Riella & David Rodríguez & Joana Urraburu, 2019. "Income redistribution in Latin America: A microsimulation approach," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-1, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Rafael La Porta & Andrei Shleifer, 2008. "The Unofficial Economy and Economic Development," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 39(2 (Fall)), pages 275-363.
    8. Guerguil, Martine, 1988. "Some thoughts on the definition of the informal sector," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    9. Rauch, James E., 1991. "Modelling the informal sector formally," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 33-47, January.
    10. Jaime Saavedra & Alberto Chong, 1999. "Structural reform, institutions and earnings: Evidence from the formal and informal sectors in urban Peru," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 95-116.
    11. repec:eme:rlec11:s0147-9121(2012)0000034008 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. H Xavier Jara & Marcelo Varela, 2019. "Tax-benefit Microsimulation and Income Redistribution in Ecuador," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 12(1), pages 52-82.
    13. repec:wbk:wbpubs:6730 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Xavier Jara & David Rodríguez, 2019. "Financial disincentives to formal work: Evidence from Ecuador and Colombia," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-14, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Michael Weber, 2015. "Measuring disincentives to formal work," World of Labour, LISER, pages 213-213, December.
    16. Harris, John R & Todaro, Michael P, 1970. "Migration, Unemployment & Development: A Two-Sector Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 60(1), pages 126-142, March.
    17. Johannes Koettl & Michael Weber, 2012. "Chapter 5 Does Formal Work Pay? The Role of Labor Taxation and Social Benefit Design in the New EU Member States," Research in Labor Economics, in: Informal Employment in Emerging and Transition Economies, pages 167-204, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    18. Gasparini Leonardo & Leonardo Tornaroli, 2009. "Labor Informality in Latin America and the Caribbean: Patterns and Trends from Household Survey Microdata," Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, Universidad de los Andes,Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    19. repec:hal:pseose:hal-01060265 is not listed on IDEAS
    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. H. Xavier Jara & David Rodríguez & Diego Collado & Javier Torres & Andrés Mideros & Lourdes Montesdeoca & Andrés Avellaneda & Rodrigo Chang & Omar Vanegas, 2025. "Assessing the role of tax‐benefit policies during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from the Andean region," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 226-246, February.
    2. Maddalena Honorati & Indhira Santos & Indhira Santos, 2024. "Investing in Skills to Accelerate Job Transitions," World Bank Publications - Reports 42103, The World Bank Group.
    3. Deza, María Cecilia & Dondo, Mariana & Jara, H. Xavier & Rodríguez Guerrero, David Arturo & Torres, Javier, 2025. "Assessing the Role of Tax-benefit Systems in Reducing the Gender Income Gap in Latin America," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13941, Inter-American Development Bank.

    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. Xavier Jara & David Rodríguez, 2019. "Financial disincentives to formal work: Evidence from Ecuador and Colombia," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-14, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Lehmann, Hartmut & Muravyev, Alexander, 2012. "Labor Market Institutions and Informality in Transition and Latin American Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 7035, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Allen, Jeffrey & Nataraj, Shanthi & Schipper, Tyler C., 2018. "Strict duality and overlapping productivity distributions between formal and informal firms," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 534-554.
    4. Gindling,T. H. & Mossaad,Nadwa & Newhouse,David Locke, 2016. "Earnings premiums and penalties for self-employment and informal employees around the world," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7530, The World Bank.
    5. T. H. Gindling & Nadwa Mossaad & David Newhouse, 2016. "How Large are Earnings Penalties for Self-Employed and Informal Wage Workers?," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-39, December.
    6. Santanu Chatterjee & Mark C. Kelly & Stephen J. Turnovsky, 2022. "Foreign aid, public investment, and the informal economy," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(1), pages 174-201, January.
    7. Rothenberg, Alexander D. & Gaduh, Arya & Burger, Nicholas E. & Chazali, Charina & Tjandraningsih, Indrasari & Radikun, Rini & Sutera, Cole & Weilant, Sarah, 2016. "Rethinking Indonesia’s Informal Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 96-113.
    8. Salinas, Aldo & Ortiz, Cristian & Changoluisa, Javier & Muffatto, Moreno, 2023. "Testing three views about the determinants of informal economy: New evidence at global level and by country groups using the CS-ARDL approach," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 438-455.
    9. Chatterjee, Santanu & Turnovsky, Stephen J., 2018. "Remittances and the informal economy," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 66-83.
    10. Colin C. Williams, 2023. "A Modern Guide to the Informal Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 18668.
    11. Albertini, Julien & Terriau, Anthony, 2019. "Informality over the life-cycle," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 182-202.
    12. Brian McCaig & Nina Pavcnik, 2015. "Informal Employment in a Growing and Globalizing Low-Income Country," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 545-550, May.
    13. Adom, Idossou Marius, 2026. "A structural analysis of firms’ transition from informality to formality in Nigeria," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    14. Hugo Jales & Zhengfei Yu, 2020. "Labor Market Policies in a Roy-Rosen Bargaining Economy," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 231, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    15. Norman V. Loayza, 2016. "Informality in the Process of Development and Growth," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(12), pages 1856-1916, December.
    16. Leal Ordóñez, Julio C., 2010. "Informal sector, productivity, and tax collection," MPRA Paper 26058, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Oct 2010.
    17. Santanu Chatterjee & Stephen J. Turnovsky, 2023. "Government expenditure and informality in an emerging economy: the recent experience of India," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 293-318, September.
    18. Bergolo, M. & Cruces, G., 2021. "The anatomy of behavioral responses to social assistance when informal employment is high," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    19. Aalia Cassim & Kezia Lilenstein & Morne Oosthuizen & Francois Steenkamp, 2016. "Informality and Inclusive Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 201602, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    20. Roberto Dell'Anno, 2022. "Theories and definitions of the informal economy: A survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5), pages 1610-1643, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:ese:emodwp:em8-20. 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: Jonathan Nears (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/rcessuk.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.