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Tax Rates and Tax Evasion: Evidence from Missing Imports in Tanzania

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  • Epaphra, Manamba

Abstract

Tax evasion is the basic characteristic of many developing countries. De facto tax collections are consequently far below revenue implied by published or de jure tax rates. This paper empirically examines tax rates (tariff plus VAT rates) as the determinants of customs revenue evasion across products, based on a systematic analysis of discrepancies in trade declarations for trading partners, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of South Africa and China. The results indicate that trade gap is highly correlated with tax rates, that is, much more value is lost for products with higher tax rates. The results also show that the trade gap is correlated with tax rates on closely related products from Republic of South Africa, implying that evasion takes place through misclassification of imports from higher-taxed categories to lower-taxed ones. However, there is no evidence of misclassification of imports from China. The wide divergences between the effective and statutory tax rates in Tanzanian tax system indicate that there is a scope for raising tax revenue without increasing tax rates by reinforcing tax and customs administrations and reducing tax evasion.

Suggested Citation

  • Epaphra, Manamba, 2015. "Tax Rates and Tax Evasion: Evidence from Missing Imports in Tanzania," MPRA Paper 62328, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:62328
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/62328/1/MPRA_paper_62328.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yousefi, Kowsar & Vesal, Mohammad & Pilvar, Hanifa, 2020. "Import tax evasion and avoidance: Evidence from Iran," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 31-39.
    2. Derek Kellenberg & Arik Levinson, 2019. "Misreporting trade: Tariff evasion, corruption, and auditing standards," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 106-129, February.
    3. Amina Ebrahim & Elineema Kisanga & Ezekiel Swema & Vincent Leyaro & Edwin P. Mhede & Ephraim Mdee & Heikki Palviainen & Jukka Pirttilä, 2021. "The effects of a risk-based approach to tax examinations: Evidence from Tanzania," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-150, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Md. Harun Ur Rashid & Afzal Ahmad & Muhammad Saleh Abdullah & Monir Ahmmed & Serajul Islam, 2022. "Doing Business and Tax Evasion: Evidence from Asian Countries," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.
    5. Lemi, Adugna, 2019. "Catch Me If You Can: Trade Mis-invoicing and Capital Flight in Ethiopia," Ethiopian Journal of Economics, Ethiopian Economics Association, vol. 28(02), October.
    6. Lemi, Adugna, 2019. "Catch Me If You Can: Trade Mis-invoicing and Capital Flight in Ethiopia," Ethiopian Journal of Economics, Ethiopian Economics Association, vol. 28(01), April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    tax evasion; imports; tariff rate; and import VAT;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance

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