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The Big Bang: Tax Evasion After Automatic Exchange of Information Under FATCA and CRS

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  • Leo Ahrens
  • Fabio Bothner

Abstract

After decades of ineffective attempts to fight tax evasion, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) recently implemented the first encompassing international exchange of tax-related information on an automatic basis. This is an important development because tax evasion contributes to rising socio-political inequality and political sovereignty losses. This article assesses the treaties’ impact on tax evasion by conducting a difference-in-difference analysis of cross-border asset data. The results show that the treaties are successful. Household assets in tax havens that are not hidden behind corporate identities are estimated to be 67 per cent lower than they would have been without automatic exchange of information. Furthermore, this reduction is not offset by an increase in treaty circumvention using identity concealment or asset shifting to non-compliant jurisdictions. FATCA and CRS thus implement the first effective international cooperation against tax evasion. The results imply that political globalisation is capable to mitigate the political sovereignty losses and rise of inequality caused by economic globalisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Leo Ahrens & Fabio Bothner, 2020. "The Big Bang: Tax Evasion After Automatic Exchange of Information Under FATCA and CRS," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(6), pages 849-864, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cnpexx:v:25:y:2020:i:6:p:849-864
    DOI: 10.1080/13563467.2019.1639651
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Fabio Bothner & Annette Elisabeth Töller & Paul Philipp Schnase, 2022. "Do Lawsuits by ENGOs Improve Environmental Quality? Results from the Field of Air Pollution Policy in Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Agustín Bénétrix & Lorenz Emter & Martin Schmitz, 2024. "Automatic for the (tax) people: information sharing and cross-border investment in tax havens," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 39(120), pages 853-895.
    3. Matti Ylönen & Ringa Raudla & Milan Babic, 2024. "From tax havens to cryptocurrencies: secrecy-seeking capital in the global economy," Review of International Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(2), pages 563-588, March.
    4. Matti Ylönen & Wolfgang Drechsle & Veiko Lember, . "Online incorporation platforms in Estonia and beyond: How administrative spillover effects hamper international taxation," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    5. Langenmayr, Dominika & Zyska, Lennard, 2023. "Escaping the exchange of information: Tax evasion via citizenship-by-investment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    6. Rasmus Corlin Christensen & Leonard Seabrooke & Duncan Wigan, 2022. "Professional action in global wealth chains," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), pages 705-721, July.
    7. Khadjavi, Menusch & Vertelman, Marjolein, 2022. "Closing pandora's box: How to improve the common reporting standard," Kiel Working Papers 2223, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    8. Leo Ahrens & Lukas Hakelberg & Thomas Rixen, 2022. "A victim of regulatory arbitrage? Automatic exchange of information and the use of golden visas and corporate shells," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), pages 653-672, July.
    9. Dominika Langenmayr & Lennard Zyska, 2021. "Avoiding Taxes: Escaping the Exchange of Information: Tax Evasion via Citizenship-by-Investment," Working Papers 204, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).

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