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Offshore schemes and tax evasion: The role of banks

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  • Chernykh, Lucy
  • Mityakov, Sergey

Abstract

We use mandatory Russian banks’ reports to the Central Bank to construct a novel measure of offshore-banking. Individual bank involvement in offshore operations is calculated as a fraction of total transactions with foreign countries that go through offshore financial centers. We find that offshore-active banks perform less financial intermediation and focus more on international wire transfers. We show a positive relation between banks’ offshore activities and tax evasion of companies doing business through these banks. Finally, we show that the Central Bank eventually responds to this behavior: offshore-active banks have higher likelihood of license revocation and criminal investigation against top-management.

Suggested Citation

  • Chernykh, Lucy & Mityakov, Sergey, 2017. "Offshore schemes and tax evasion: The role of banks," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(3), pages 516-542.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:126:y:2017:i:3:p:516-542
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2017.09.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Michelle Hanlon & Edward L. Maydew & Jacob R. Thornock, 2015. "Taking the Long Way Home: U.S. Tax Evasion and Offshore Investments in U.S. Equity and Debt Markets," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(1), pages 257-287, February.
    7. Serguey Braguinsky & Sergey Mityakov & Andrey Liscovich, 2014. "Direct Estimation of Hidden Earnings: Evidence from Russian Administrative Data," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 57(2), pages 281-319.
    8. Jørgen Juel Andersen & Niels Johannesen & David Dreyer Lassen & Elena Paltseva, 2017. "Petro Rents, Political Institutions, and Hidden Wealth: Evidence from Offshore Bank Accounts," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(4), pages 818-860.
    9. Mironov, Maxim, 2015. "Should one hire a corrupt CEO in a corrupt country?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(1), pages 29-42.
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    11. Maxim Mironov, 2013. "Taxes, Theft, and Firm Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(4), pages 1441-1472, August.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hearn, Bruce, 2021. "Institutional determinants of bid–ask spreads in Caribbean offshore stock exchanges," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    2. Lucy Chernykh & Sergey Mityakov, 2022. "Behavior of Corporate Depositors During a Bank Panic," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(12), pages 9129-9151, December.
    3. Gawehn, Vanessa, 2019. "Banks and corporate income taxation: A review," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 247, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    4. Raymond Fisman & April Knill & Sergey Mityakov & Margarita Portnykh, 2022. "Political Beta [The impact of the 2018 tariffs on prices and welfare]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(5), pages 1179-1215.
    5. Wenxia Ge & Jeong-Bon Kim & Tiemei Li & Jing Zhang, 2022. "Subsidiary operations in offshore financial centers and bank risk-taking: International evidence," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(2), pages 268-301, March.
    6. Mona Barake, 2023. "Tax Planning by European Banks," Working Papers halshs-03925346, HAL.
    7. Vincent Bouvatier & Gunther Capelle-Blancard & Anne-Laure Delatte, 2017. "Banks Defy Gravity in Tax Havens," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-03101505, HAL.
    8. Chen, Hanwen & Liu, Siyi & Wang, Junjie & Wu, Zhijuan, 2022. "The effect of geographic proximity on corporate tax avoidance: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    9. Hearn, Bruce & Oxelheim, Lars & Randøy, Trond, 2021. "The Impact of Founders on Information Asymmetry vis-à-vis Outside Investors: Evidence from Caribbean Offshore Tax Havens," Working Paper Series 1419, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    10. D’Avino, Carmela, 2023. "Counteracting offshore tax evasion: Evidence from the foreign account tax compliance act," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial institutions; Offshore banking; Tax evasion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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