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Knockin' on H(e)aven's door. Financial crises and hidden wealth

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  • Silvia Marchesi
  • Giovanna Marcolongo

Abstract

This paper investigates the link between financial crises in developing countries and variation of bank deposits in offshore financial centers. Using both a two way fixed effects and a stacked difference-in-differences estimator, we find that after three years since the beginning of the crisis bank deposits in tax havens increase by about 20 percent. The effect does not depend on taxation and seems driven by countries with more fragile institutions. We add to the literature on the effects of tax havens: they not only facilitate tax evasion and corruption in "normal times", but also absorb resources during financial crises, when most needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Marchesi & Giovanna Marcolongo, 2023. "Knockin' on H(e)aven's door. Financial crises and hidden wealth," Working Papers 518, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:mib:wpaper:518
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sovereign debt crisis; Financial Crisis; Offshore accounts.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State

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