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What Determines Firms’ Decisions to Formalize?

Author

Listed:
  • Neil McCulloch
  • Günther G. Schulze
  • Janina Voss

    (Department of International Economic Policy, University of Freiburg)

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the decision of small and micro firms to formalize, i.e. to obtain business and other licenses in rural Indonesia. We use the rural investment climate survey (RICS) that consists of non-farm rural enterprises, most of them microenterprises, and analyze the effect of formalization on tax payments, corruption, access to credit and revenue, taking into account the endogeneity of the formalization decision to such benefits and costs. We show, contrary to most of the literature, that formalization reduces tax and corruption payments. The benefits of formalization, and therefore the likelihood of being formal, also depend on characteristics such as firm size, as well as the education and ethnicity of the owner.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil McCulloch & Günther G. Schulze & Janina Voss, 2010. "What Determines Firms’ Decisions to Formalize?," Discussion Paper Series 13, Department of International Economic Policy, University of Freiburg, revised Nov 2010.
    • Handle: RePEc:fre:wpaper:13
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sam Z. Njinyah & Simplice A. Asongu, 2023. "Unregistered Firms, Financial Access and Innovation," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(2), pages 307-346, July.
    2. Carolina Rodríguez Zamora, 2018. "Bank Account Ownership by Microentrepreneurs in Mexico," Investigación Conjunta-Joint Research, in: María José Roa García & Diana Mejía (ed.), Financial Decisions of Households and Financial Inclusion: Evidence for Latin America and the Caribbean, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 13, pages 429-461, Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos, CEMLA.
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    4. Bruhn, Miriam, 2013. "A tale of two species: Revisiting the effect of registration reform on informal business owners in Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 275-283.
    5. Krisztina Kis-Katos & Günther G. Schulze, 2013. "Corruption in Southeast Asia: a survey of recent research," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 27(1), pages 79-109, May.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

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