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The Effects of Adopting a Value Added Tax on Firms

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Listed:
  • David R. Agrawal
  • Laura V. Zimmermann

Abstract

This paper studies the effects of transitioning from a system of sales taxes to a value-added tax (VAT) on firm-level outcomes. We construct a dataset of product- and state-specific tax rates before and after India gradually switched from a sales tax to a VAT. Exploiting staggered state-level adoptions, we first show that following the transition, effective tax rates declined substantially and complexity as measured by various proxies generally also fell. We then show that sales increased by 57% in the medium run. The reform resulted in increased earnings for workers and higher amounts of capital and digital accounting.

Suggested Citation

  • David R. Agrawal & Laura V. Zimmermann, 2024. "The Effects of Adopting a Value Added Tax on Firms," CESifo Working Paper Series 11469, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11469
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mazhar Waseem, 2022. "The Role of Withholding in the Self-Enforcement of a Value-Added Tax: Evidence from Pakistan," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 104(2), pages 336-354, May.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    value added tax; sales tax; production efficiency; firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • O23 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Development

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