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Voting over Taxes: The Case of Tax Evasion

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  • Traxler, Christian

Abstract

This paper studies majority voting on taxes when tax evasion is possible. We characterize the voting equilibrium where the agent with median taxed income is pivotal. Since the ranking of true incomes does not necessarily correspond to the ranking of taxed incomes, the decisive voter can differ from the median income receiver. In this case, we find unconventional patterns of redistribution, e.g. from the middle class to the poor and the rich. Furthermore, we show that majority voting can lead to an inefficiently low level of taxation – despite a right-skewed income distribution. Hence, the classical over-provision result might turn around, once tax evasion is taken into account.

Suggested Citation

  • Traxler, Christian, 2006. "Voting over Taxes: The Case of Tax Evasion," Discussion Papers in Economics 1188, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:lmu:muenec:1188
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    Cited by:

    1. Salvatore Barbaro & Jens Suedekum, 2009. "Voting on income tax exemptions," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 138(1), pages 239-253, January.
    2. Campomanes, Ignacio P., 2024. "The political economy of inequality, mobility and redistribution," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Natalia Jiménez-Jiménez & Elena Molis-Bañales & Ángel Solano-García, 2025. "Tax avoidance and voting on income redistribution: A real-effort task experiment," Working Papers 25.07, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Economics.
    4. Adam, Antonis & Kammas, Pantelis, 2012. "(Tax evasion) power to the people: does "early democratization" increase the size of the informal sector?," MPRA Paper 43343, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Traxler, Christian, 2012. "Majority voting and the welfare implications of tax avoidance," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 1-9.
    6. An, Zhiyong, 2013. "An alternative approach to income taxation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 875-878.
    7. Carlos Bethencourt & Lars Kunze, 2015. "The political economics of redistribution, inequality and tax avoidance," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 267-287, June.
    8. Haaland, Ingar & Olden, Andreas, 2022. "Fraud concerns and support for economic relief programs," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 59-66.
    9. Loukas Balafoutas, 2011. "How much income redistribution? An explanation based on vote-buying and corruption," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 146(1), pages 185-203, January.
    10. Rainald Borck, 2009. "Voting on redistribution with tax evasion," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 32(3), pages 439-454, March.
    11. Laszlo Goerke, 2017. "Tax evasion in a Cournot oligopoly with endogenous entry," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 24(5), pages 754-779, September.
    12. Laszlo Goerke, 2012. "The Optimal Structure of Commodity Taxation in a Monopoly with Tax Avoidance or Evasion," Public Finance Review, , vol. 40(4), pages 519-536, July.
    13. Besfamille, Martin & De Donder, Philippe & Lozachmeur, Jean-Marie, 2009. "The Political Economy of the (Weak) Enforcement of Sales Tax," CEPR Discussion Papers 7108, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Hakan İnal, 2015. "Voting over law enforcement: mission impossible," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 349-360, August.
    15. Mathieu Lefebvre & Pierre Pestieau & Arno Riedl & Marie Villeval, 2015. "Tax evasion and social information: an experiment in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 22(3), pages 401-425, June.
    16. Enrique Fatas & Antonio J. Morales, 2018. "The joy of ruling: an experimental investigation on collective giving," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 85(2), pages 179-200, August.
    17. Weinreich, Daniel, 2013. "Fair tax evasion and majority voting over redistributive taxation," MPRA Paper 48919, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Murat C. Mungan, 2017. "Over-incarceration and disenfranchisement," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 172(3), pages 377-395, September.

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    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics

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