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Local Government Tax Effort in China: an Analysis of Provincial Tax Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Qian Wang

    (School of Public & Environmental Affairs (SPEA) Indiana University Bloomington)

  • Chunli Shen

    (Central University of Finance and Economics)

  • Heng-fu Zou

    (Shenzhen University, Wuhan University and Central University of Finance and Economics)

Abstract

This paper aims to enhance the understanding of provincial tax performance in China, paying special attention to the recent fiscal reforms in the 1980s and in 1994. Using provincial panel data for the period 1986-2004, our analysis consists of two steps. First, a combined fixed time effects and random provincial effects model is used to analyze the statistical relationship between the tax share in GDP and economic and demographic variables. Results indicate that the decentralized fiscal system over the period 1986¨C1993 has had a positive impact on the tax share in GDP, whereas the recentralized fiscal system in the period 1994-2004 has had a negative impact. Second, provincial tax effort indices are calculated to estimate potential room for additional taxation. The findings from the analysis have important policy implications on the redistribution of fiscal resources as well as on the effectiveness of the tax administration.

Suggested Citation

  • Qian Wang & Chunli Shen & Heng-fu Zou, 2011. "Local Government Tax Effort in China: an Analysis of Provincial Tax Performance," CEMA Working Papers 483, China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:cuf:wpaper:483
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. repec:cuf:journl:y:2017:v:18:i:1:valles-gimenez is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Mustafa Kiziltan & Ahmet Burcin Yereli, 2023. "Evaluating local fiscal capacity and fiscal effort of Turkish local governments: Evidence from spatial panel data analysis," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 441-472, February.
    3. Denis Nitikin & Chunli Shen & Qian Wang & Heng-fu Zou, 2011. "Land Taxation in China: Assessment of Prospects for Politically and Economically Sustainable Reform," CEMA Working Papers 431, China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics.
    4. Jaime Valles-Gimenez & Anabel Zarate-Marco, 2017. "Tax Effort of Local Governments and its Determinants: The Spanish Case," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 18(2), pages 323-348, November.
    5. Song, Yang, 2013. "Rising Chinese regional income inequality: The role of fiscal decentralization," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 294-309.
    6. Avipsa Mohanty & Dinabandhu Sethi & Asit Ranjan Mohanty, 2022. "Does petroleum tax revenue drive sales tax effort of Indian states? A stochastic frontier approach," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 1257-1268, January.
    7. Xiaohua Wang & Zhi Luo & Tianyi Wang & Zhuo Huang, 2017. "The Impact of Privatization on TFP: a Quasi-Experiment in China," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 18(1), pages 53-71, May.
    8. Denis Nitikin & Chunli Shen & Qian Wang & Heng-fu Zou, 2012. "Evaluation of Land Taxation in China," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 13(2), pages 489-528, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax effort; Tax capacity; Fiscal reforms; Fiscal decentralization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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