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Tax Evasion, Corruption and Tax Loopholes

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  • Sugata Marjit
  • André Seidel
  • Marcel Thum

Abstract

This paper addresses tax loopholes that allow firms to exploit borderline cases between legal tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion. In general, tax loopholes are detrimental for a revenue-maximizing government. This may change in the presence of corruption in the tax administration. Tax loopholes may serve as a separating mechanism that helps governments maximize revenues and curb corruption, which may explain why developing countries only gradually close loopholes in their tax codes.
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Suggested Citation

  • Sugata Marjit & André Seidel & Marcel Thum, 2017. "Tax Evasion, Corruption and Tax Loopholes," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 18(3), pages 283-301, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:germec:v:18:y:2017:i:3:p:283-301
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/geer.12107
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    Cited by:

    1. Gregory T. Papanikos, 2024. "Variations of Self-Employed in Eurozone Countries: The Role of Corruption and Wage Rate Growth," Athens Journal of Business & Economics, Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), vol. 10(1), pages 9-18, January.
    2. Katarzyna Bilicka & André Seidel, 2020. "Profit shifting and corruption," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(5), pages 1051-1080, October.
    3. Lumir Abdixhiku, Geoff Pugh, Iraj Hashi, 2018. "Business Tax Evasion in Transition Economies: A Cross-Country Panel Investigation," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 15(1), pages 11-36, June.
    4. Aleksandra Gawel & Timo Toikko, 2023. "Quality of Governance and Welfare Generosity as Institutional Predictors of Entrepreneurship: European Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, October.
    5. Sugata Marjit & Suryaprakash Mishra & Sandip Mitra, 2019. "Sham Litigation, Delayed Tax Payment and Evasion: The Role of Informal Credit Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 8034, CESifo.
    6. Dzhumashev, Ratbek & Levaggi, Rosella & Menoncin, Francesco, 2023. "Optimal tax enforcement with productive public inputs," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Uyar, Ali & Nimer, Khalil & Kuzey, Cemil & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Schneider, Friedrich, 2021. "Can e-government initiatives alleviate tax evasion? The moderation effect of ICT," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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