IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unu/wpaper/wp-2016-173.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Tax revenue implications of trade liberalization in low-income countries

Author

Listed:
  • Lovisa Moller

Abstract

Liberalizing trade has proven highly challenging for some low-income countries, as a large share of their tax extraction derives from trade taxation. After significant drops in tariff levels over the last 30 years, the recovery of lost revenues by other sources of taxation has been highly uneven among these countries. This study demonstrates that recovery has been significantly stronger in countries that have simultaneously initiated a process of democratization. An analysis of 35 low-income countries between 1975 and 2006 is presented.

Suggested Citation

  • Lovisa Moller, 2016. "Tax revenue implications of trade liberalization in low-income countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-173, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2016-173
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2016-173.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Agbeyegbe, Terence D. & Stotsky, Janet & WoldeMariam, Asegedech, 2006. "Trade liberalization, exchange rate changes, and tax revenue in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 261-284, April.
    2. Alice Sindzingre, 2007. "Financing the Developmental State: Tax and Revenue Issues," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 25(5), pages 615-632, September.
    3. Dani Rodrik, 1998. "Why Do More Open Economies Have Bigger Governments?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(5), pages 997-1032, October.
    4. Emran, M. Shahe & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 2005. "On selective indirect tax reform in developing countries," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(4), pages 599-623, April.
    5. Prichard, Wilson & Cobham, Alex & Goodall, Andrew, 2014. "The ICTD Government Revenue Dataset," Working Papers 10250, Institute of Development Studies, International Centre for Tax and Development.
    6. Baunsgaard, Thomas & Keen, Michael, 2010. "Tax revenue and (or?) trade liberalization," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(9-10), pages 563-577, October.
    7. Khattry, Barsha & Mohan Rao, J., 2002. "Fiscal Faux Pas?: An Analysis of the Revenue Implications of Trade Liberalization," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 1431-1444, August.
    8. José Cheibub & Jennifer Gandhi & James Vreeland, 2010. "Democracy and dictatorship revisited," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 67-101, April.
    9. Christine Fauvelle‐Aymar, 1999. "The Political and Tax Capacity of Government in Developing Countries," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 391-413, August.
    10. Brautigam,Deborah & Fjeldstad,Odd-Helge & Moore,Mick (ed.), 2008. "Taxation and State-Building in Developing Countries," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521716192.
    11. Maria Melody Garcia & Christian Haldenwang, 2016. "Do Democracies Tax More? Political Regime Type and Taxation," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 485-506, May.
    12. Rodrik, Dani, 1990. "How should structural adjustment programs be designed?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 18(7), pages 933-947, July.
    13. Brautigam,Deborah & Fjeldstad,Odd-Helge & Moore,Mick (ed.), 2008. "Taxation and State-Building in Developing Countries," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521888158.
    14. Olson, Mancur, 1993. "Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 87(3), pages 567-576, September.
    15. Henisz, Witold J, 2000. "The Institutional Environment for Multinational Investment," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 16(2), pages 334-364, October.
    16. Milner, Helen V. & Kubota, Keiko, 2005. "Why the Move to Free Trade? Democracy and Trade Policy in the Developing Countries," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 59(1), pages 107-143, January.
    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. Jean-François Brun & Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2019. "Tax reform, public revenue and public revenue instability in developing countries: Does development aid matter?," Working Papers halshs-02089734, HAL.
    2. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2020. "Internet and tax reform in developing countries," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    3. Jean-François Brun & Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2019. "Tax reform, public revenue and public revenue instability in developing countries: Does development aid matter?," CERDI Working papers halshs-02089734, HAL.
    4. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2023. "Trade costs and tax transition reform in developing countries," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 941-977, October.
    5. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2020. "Export product diversification and tax performance quality in developing countries," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 849-876, October.

    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. Lovisa Moller, 2016. "Tax revenue implications of trade liberalization in low-income countries," WIDER Working Paper Series 173, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Kodjo Adandohoin, 2021. "Tax transition in developing countries: do value added tax and excises really work?," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 379-424, May.
    3. Marin Ferry, 2019. "The carrot and stick approach to debt relief: overcoming moral hazard," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 28(3), pages 252-276.
    4. Jean-François Brun & Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2019. "Tax reform, public revenue and public revenue instability in developing countries: Does development aid matter?," CERDI Working papers halshs-02089734, HAL.
    5. Jean-François Brun & Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2019. "Tax reform, public revenue and public revenue instability in developing countries: Does development aid matter?," Working Papers halshs-02089734, HAL.
    6. von Haldenwang, Christian, 2020. "Digitalising the fiscal contract: An interdisciplinary framework for empirical inquiry," IDOS Discussion Papers 20/2020, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    7. Adandohoin, Kodjo, 2018. "Tax transition in developing countries: Do VAT and excises really work?," MPRA Paper 91522, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Timothy Besley & Torsten Persson, 2011. "Pillars of Prosperity: The Political Economics of Development Clusters," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9624.
    9. Lisa Chauvet & Marin Ferry, 2021. "Taxation, infrastructure, and firm performance in developing countries," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 187(3), pages 455-480, June.
    10. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2022. "Financial development and tax revenue in developing countries: investigating the international trade channel," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-26, January.
    11. Ofori, Isaac Kwesi & Obeng, Camara Kwasi & Mwinlaaru, Yeltulme Pter, 2021. "Effect of Exchange Rate Volatility on Tax Revenue Performance In Sub-Saharan Africa," EconStor Preprints 233955, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    12. Kammas, Pantelis & Sarantides, Vassilis, 2019. "Do dictatorships redistribute more?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 176-195.
    13. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2019. "Financial Development and Tax Revenue in Developing Countries: Investigating the International Trade and Economic Growth Channels," EconStor Preprints 206628, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    14. Devika Dutt & Kevin P. Gallagher & Rachel D. Thrasher, 2020. "Trade Liberalization and Fiscal Stability in Developing Countries: What Does the Evidence Tell Us?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 11(3), pages 375-383, May.
    15. Baunsgaard, Thomas & Keen, Michael, 2010. "Tax revenue and (or?) trade liberalization," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(9-10), pages 563-577, October.
    16. Michael Moore & Maurizio Zanardi, 2011. "Does reduced trade tax revenue affect government spending patterns?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 18(5), pages 555-579, October.
    17. Michael O. Moore & Maurizio Zanardi, 2010. "Does Trade Liberalization Affect the Composition of Government Spending in Developing Nations?," Working Papers ECARES 2010_013, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    18. von Schiller, Armin, 2015. "Party System Institutionalization and Reliance on Personal Income Tax in Developing Countries," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 7351, Inter-American Development Bank.
    19. Armin von Schiller, 2017. "Party system institutionalization and reliance on personal income tax: Exploring the relationship using new data," WIDER Working Paper Series 032, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Denis Cogneau & Yannick Dupraz & Justine Knebelmann & Sandrine Mesplé-Somps, 2021. "Taxation in Africa from Colonial Times to Present Evidence from former French colonies 1900-2018," Working Papers halshs-03420664, HAL.

    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:unu:wpaper:wp-2016-173. 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: Siméon Rapin (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/widerfi.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.