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Asymmetric corporate tax compliance: Evidence from a tax reform in China

Author

Listed:
  • Cheng, Hua
  • Chen, Xiaowei
  • Qi, Shusen

Abstract

Using China's 2008 corporate tax reform as a quasi-natural experiment, we construct a difference-in-differences setting to study firms' asymmetric tax compliance. Compared to firms whose taxes were unaffected by the reform, firms whose tax rate increased reported significantly lower profit margins to avoid paying more taxes. However, firms facing a tax cut did not behave differently from the unaffected firms. The asymmetric behavior is valid for private firms, but not for state-owned firms that have softer budget constraints. Such tax avoidance is done through the manipulation of the costs of goods sold and other expenses, rather than managing net receivables.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheng, Hua & Chen, Xiaowei & Qi, Shusen, 2023. "Asymmetric corporate tax compliance: Evidence from a tax reform in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:79:y:2023:i:c:s1043951x23000524
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2023.101967
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax reform; Tax avoidance; Asymmetric behavior;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

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