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The Costs of VAT: A Review of the Literature

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Barbone
  • Richard M. Bird

    (University of Toronto)

  • Jaime Vazquez-Caro

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature on the costs of VAT, beginning with a review of concepts with regard to different aspects of administrative and compliance costs and then a review of quantitative estimates of such costs. It concludes with a brief discussion of VAT non-compliance and fraud with special reference to European Union case.in the European VAT context, including some suggestive evidence on the trade-off between compliance costs and fraud.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Barbone & Richard M. Bird & Jaime Vazquez-Caro, 2012. "The Costs of VAT: A Review of the Literature," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1222, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:ays:ispwps:paper1222
    as

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    File URL: http://icepp.gsu.edu/files/2015/03/ispwp1222.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Christian Ebeke & M Mansour & Grégoire Rota-Graziosi, 2016. "The Power to Tax in Sub-Saharan Africa: LTUs, VATs, and SARAs," Working Papers halshs-01332049, HAL.
    2. Sacchidananda Mukherjee & Shivani Badola, 2022. "Estimation of VAT compliance costs of unincorporated enterprises in India: unit-level analysis," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 421-441, December.
    3. Neba Bhalla & Rakesh Kumar Sharma & Inderjit Kaur, 2022. "Effect of Tax Knowledge and Technological Shift in Tax System on Business Performance: A PLS-SEM Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-18, August.
    4. Sijbren Cnossen, 2018. "VAT and agriculture: lessons from Europe," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(2), pages 519-551, April.
    5. Victor Ogneru & Stelian Stancu, 2022. "The impact of the VAT gap on the degree of taxation of an economy - analysis with panel data," Journal of Financial Studies, Institute of Financial Studies, vol. 12(7), pages 164-184, May.
    6. Makoto Hasegawa, 2023. "Territorial Tax Reform and Profit Shifting by US and Japanese Multinationals," National Tax Journal, University of Chicago Press, vol. 76(4), pages 771-804.
    7. Giulia Mascagni & Roel Dom & Fabrizio Santoro & Denis Mukama, 2023. "The VAT in practice: equity, enforcement, and complexity," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(2), pages 525-563, April.
    8. Sijbren Cnossen, 2017. "VAT and Agriculture: Lessons from Europe," CPB Discussion Paper 341.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    9. Mukherjee, Sacchidananda & Rao, R. Kavita, 2015. "Factors Influencing Unincorporated Enterprises to Register under Value Added Tax (VAT): An Analysis with Enterprises Survey Data," Working Papers 15/145, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    10. Neba Bhalla & Rakesh Kumar Sharma & Inderjit Kaur, 2023. "Effect of Goods and Service Tax System on Business Performance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
    11. Sijbren Cnossen, 2017. "VAT and Agriculture: Lessons from Europe," CESifo Working Paper Series 6350, CESifo.
    12. S. Vishnuhadevi, 2021. "Administrative and Compliance Costs of Value Added Tax (VAT): A Review," Review of Development and Change, , vol. 26(2), pages 179-206, December.
    13. Romain Houssa & Kelbesa Megersa, 2017. "Institutional quality, economic development and the performance of VAT," BeFinD Working Papers 0115, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    14. Hana Zídková, 2014. "Determinants of VAT Gap in EU," Prague Economic Papers, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2014(4), pages 514-530.
    15. Sijbren Cnossen, 2017. "VAT and Agriculture: Lessons from Europe," CPB Discussion Paper 341, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • M48 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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