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Do Tax Havens Really Flourish?

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  • Luisa R. Blanco

    (Pepperdine University)

  • Cynthia L. Rogers

    (University of Oklahoma Norman Campus)

Abstract

That tax haven policies contribute to favorable economic growth in tax haven countries is commonly accepted. Empirical investigations, however, do not substantiate this assertion and are subject to endogeneity bias. Using a sample of 155 countries from 1982 to 2003, we find that the standard tax haven variable is endogenous to the error term in a typical growth regression. We offer land area measures as valid instruments for tax haven status. Results based on two-stage least squares estimation with heteroskedastic standard errors and controls for initial conditions provide support for the claim that tax havens “flourish” compared with non-tax haven countries even when accounting for the self-selection of tax haven status.

Suggested Citation

  • Luisa R. Blanco & Cynthia L. Rogers, 2012. "Do Tax Havens Really Flourish?," Global Economy Journal (GEJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 12(3), pages 1-23, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:gejxxx:v:12:y:2012:i:03:n:1524-5861.1850
    DOI: 10.1515/1524-5861.1850
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    Cited by:

    1. Luisa R. Blanco & Cynthia L. Rogers, 2012. "Do Tax Havens Really Flourish?," Global Economy Journal (GEJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 12(3), pages 1-23, August.
    2. Samuel Rueckert Brazys, 2014. "Paradise Lost: The Cost of Removing Tax and Trade Provisions from the Compact of Free Association," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(1), pages 204-215, January.
    3. Butkiewicz, James L. & Gordon, Leo-Rey C., 2013. "The Economic Growth Effect of Offshore Banking in Host Territories: Evidence from the Caribbean," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 165-179.

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    tax haven; endogeneity;

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