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Fighting Income Tax Evasion with Positive Rewards: Experimental Evidence

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  • Cécile Bazart
  • Michael Pickhardt

Abstract

This paper provides experimental evidence regarding the influence of positive rewards on income tax evasion behavior. In particular, we experimentally test the impact of positive rewards in form of individual lottery winnings for honest taxpayers. Among other things, we find that these positive rewards lead to a significantly higher rate of tax compliance. Moreover, there are two gender effects. Males not only evade taxes to a much higher extent than females, they also show a stronger positive response to the lottery scheme. This allows us to draw some interesting policy recommendations.

Suggested Citation

  • Cécile Bazart & Michael Pickhardt, 2009. "Fighting Income Tax Evasion with Positive Rewards: Experimental Evidence," Working Papers 09-01, LAMETA, Universtiy of Montpellier, revised Jun 2009.
    • Handle: RePEc:lam:wpaper:09-01
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    File URL: http://www.lameta.univ-montp1.fr/Documents/DR2009-01.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sascha Hokamp & Michael Pickhardt, "undated". "Pareto-optimality in Linear Public Goods Games," Working Papers 201171, Institute of Spatial and Housing Economics, Munster Universitary.
    2. Bazart, C. & Bonein, A., 2014. "Reciprocal relationships in tax compliance decisions," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 83-102.
    3. Koessler, Ann-Kathrin & Torgler, Benno & Feld, Lars P. & Frey, Bruno S., 2019. "Commitment to pay taxes: Results from field and laboratory experiments," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 78-98.
    4. James Alm, 2019. "What Motivates Tax Compliance?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 353-388, April.
    5. Byung-hill Jun & Myeonghwan Cho & Myung-Ho Park, 2015. "Procedural Fairness and Taxpayers�� Response Evidence from an Experimen," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 31, pages 301-326.
    6. Thomas Krauskopf & Aloys Prinz, 2011. "Methods to Reanalyze Tax Compliance Experiments: Monte Carlo Simulations and Decision Time Analysis," Public Finance Review, , vol. 39(1), pages 168-188, January.
    7. Benno Torgler, 2021. "The Power of Public Choice in Law and Economics," CREMA Working Paper Series 2021-04, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    8. International Monetary Fund, 2016. "Albania: Selected Issues," IMF Staff Country Reports 2016/143, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Colin C. Williams & Friedrich Schneider, 2016. "Measuring the Global Shadow Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 16551.
    10. Iskandar, Deden Dinar & Wuenscher, Tobias & Badhuri, Anik, 2012. "The Determinants of Compliance on Environmental Tax: The Insights of Theoretical and Experimental Approaches Motivated by the Case of Indonesia," 86th Annual Conference, April 16-18, 2012, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 134977, Agricultural Economics Society.
    11. Romaniuc Rustam, 2016. "What Makes Law to Change Behavior? An Experimental Study," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(2), pages 447-475, July.
    12. Iskandar, Deden Dinar & Wuenscher, Tobias, 2012. "Finding the Stronger Impact among Bribery, Financial Reward, and Religious Attitude: The Insights of Experiment on Environmental Tax Compliance in Indonesia," 2012 Conference (56th), February 7-10, 2012, Fremantle, Australia 124316, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    13. James Alm & Matthias Kasper, 2020. "Laboratory Experiments," Working Papers 2008, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    14. Pickhardt, Michael & Prinz, Aloys, 2014. "Behavioral dynamics of tax evasion – A survey," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-19.
    15. Pedro A. Cabra-Acela, 2021. "Rewarding good taxpayers, an effective mechanism?," Documentos CEDE 19419, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    16. Kastlunger, Barbara & Dressler, Stefan G. & Kirchler, Erich & Mittone, Luigi & Voracek, Martin, 2010. "Sex differences in tax compliance: Differentiating between demographic sex, gender-role orientation, and prenatal masculinization (2D:4D)," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 542-552, August.
    17. Ann-Kathrin Koessler & Benno Torgler & Lars P. Feld & Bruno S. Frey, 2016. "Commitment to Pay Taxes: A Field Experiment on the Importance of Promise," CESifo Working Paper Series 6186, CESifo.

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