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Identifying Tax Compliance from Changes in Enforcement: Theory and Empirics

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  • Andrew Bibler
  • Laura Grigolon
  • Keith F. Teltser
  • Mark J. Tremblay

Abstract

Governments increasingly use changes in tax rules to combat evasion. We develop a general approach to point-identify tax compliance along with supply and demand elasticities; identification requires data on prices and quantities before and after changes in tax enforcement and a demand or supply shifter. We illustrate our approach using data on Airbnb collection agreements, where full enforcement is achieved by shifting the tax burden away from hosts to renters via the platform. We find that taxes are paid on roughly zero to 3.5 percent of Airbnb transactions prior to enforcement.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Bibler & Laura Grigolon & Keith F. Teltser & Mark J. Tremblay, 2024. "Identifying Tax Compliance from Changes in Enforcement: Theory and Empirics," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_505, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2024_505
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    1. Miguel Almunia & David Lopez-Rodriguez, 2018. "Under the Radar: The Effects of Monitoring Firms on Tax Compliance," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 10(1), pages 1-38, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. David R. Agrawal & Iuliia Shybalkina, 2024. "Remittance Rules and the Distribution of Local Tax Revenue: Evidence after Wayfair," CESifo Working Paper Series 11252, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    tax evasion; compliance; statutory incidence; tax invariance; Airbnb; sharing economy; voluntary collection agreements;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General

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