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Lost in Information: National Implementation of Global Tax Agreements

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In unparalleled international coordination, more than 100 countries adopted the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), committing to automatically exchange information on citizens’ foreign financial assets. We study how heterogeneity in national CRS implementation shapes its effectiveness. Using data on cross-border bank transfers to Norway with unparalleled detail on hidden ownership structures, we find that cash repatriation from tax havens increases significantly post-CRS, but only from countries with vigorous enforcement. Relying on global data on cross-border bank deposits, we show that highly digitized tax administrations trigger twice the drop in tax haven deposits in response to the CRS.

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  • Alstadsæter, Annette & Casi, Elisa & Miethe, Jakob & Stage, Barbara M. B., 2023. "Lost in Information: National Implementation of Global Tax Agreements," Discussion Papers 2023/22, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science, revised 27 Sep 2024.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:nhhfms:2023_022
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    Cited by:

    1. Amberger, Harald J. & Wilde, Jaron H. & Wu, Yuchen, 2025. "Cross-border investment, deterrence, and compliance effects of ownership transparency," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(2).
    2. Niels Johannesen & Lauge Larsen & Nadine Riedel, 2026. "Does Global Financial Transparency Improve Tax Compliance in Developing Countries?," CESifo Working Paper Series 12747, CESifo.

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    JEL classification:

    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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