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Hidden Treasure: The Impact of Automatic Exchange of Information on Cross-Border Tax Evasion

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  • Sebastian Beer
  • Maria Delgado Coelho
  • Sebastien Leduc

Abstract

We analyze the impact of exchange of information in tax matters in reducing international tax evasion between 1995 and 2018. Based on bilateral deposit data for 39 reporting countries and more than 200 counterparty jurisdictions, we find that recent automatic exchange of information frameworks reduced foreign-owned deposits in offshore jurisdictions by an average of 25 percent. This effect is statistically significant and, as expected, much larger than the effect of information exchange upon request, which is not significant. Furthermore, to test the sensitivity of our findings, we estimate countries’ offshore status and the impact of information exchange simultaneously using a finite mixture model. The results confirm that automatic (and not upon request) exchange of information impacts cross-border deposits in offshore jurisdictions, which are characterized by low income tax rates and strong financial secrecy.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Beer & Maria Delgado Coelho & Sebastien Leduc, 2019. "Hidden Treasure: The Impact of Automatic Exchange of Information on Cross-Border Tax Evasion," IMF Working Papers 2019/286, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2019/286
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Jeanne Bomare & Ségal Le Guern Herry, 2022. "Will We Ever Be Able to Track Offshore Wealth? Evidence from the Offshore Real Estate Market in the UK," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03811306, HAL.
    3. Alessio Anzuini & Elena Pisano & Luca Rossi & Alessandra Sanelli & Enrico Tosti & Ernesto Zangari, 2023. "Clever planning or unfair play? Exploring the economic and statistical impacts of tax avoidance by multinationals," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 799, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    4. James Alm, 2021. "Tax evasion, technology, and inequality," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 321-343, December.
    5. Pierce O’Reilly & Kevin Parra Ramírez & Michael A. Stemmer, 2021. "Exchange of Information and Bank Deposits in International Financial Centres," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 239(4), pages 27-69, November.
    6. von Haldenwang, Christian, 2020. "Digitalising the fiscal contract: An interdisciplinary framework for empirical inquiry," IDOS Discussion Papers 20/2020, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    7. Svraka, András, 2021. "Recent trends in income inequalities in Hungary using administrative data," Taxation Working Papers 8, Ministry of Finance, Department of Tax Policy and International Taxation.
    8. Leo Ahrens & Lukas Hakelberg & Thomas Rixen, 2022. "A victim of regulatory arbitrage? Automatic exchange of information and the use of golden visas and corporate shells," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), pages 653-672, July.
    9. Jeanne Bomare & Ségal Le Guern Herry, 2022. "Will We Ever Be Able to Track Offshore Wealth? Evidence from the Offshore Real Estate Market in the UK," Working Papers hal-03811306, HAL.
    10. Jeanne Bomare & Ségal Le Guern Herry, 2022. "Will We Ever Be Able to Track Offshore Wealth? Evidence from the Offshore Real Estate Market in the UK," SciencePo Working papers hal-03811306, HAL.

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