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Estimating Tax Agency Efficiency

Author

Listed:
  • James Alm

    (Department of Economics, Tulane University)

  • Denvil Duncan

    (School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University-Bloomington)

Abstract

Empirical work on a tax agency's production process has been plagued by the absence of comparable tax administrative data across countries and years. Such data are now available from the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development. This paper uses these data for the years 2007 to 2011, together with an estimation strategy that utilizes data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier analysis, to determine the relative efficiency of tax agencies in their use of inputs. Overall, the average efficiency scores indicate that countries should be able to collect their current level of revenues with approximately 10 to 16 percent less inputs.

Suggested Citation

  • James Alm & Denvil Duncan, 2014. "Estimating Tax Agency Efficiency," Working Papers 1404, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tul:wpaper:1404
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Jaime Bonet‐Morón & Jhorland Ayala‐García, 2020. "The territorial fiscal gap in Colombia," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(1), pages 7-24, February.
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    6. Nguyen, Trang T.T. & Prior, Diego & Van Hemmen, Stefan, 2020. "Stochastic semi-nonparametric frontier approach for tax administration efficiency measure: Evidence from a cross-country study," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 137-153.
    7. Elena Villar Rubio & Pedro Enrique Barrilao González & Juan Delgado Alaminos, 2017. "Relative efficiency within a tax administration: The effects of result improvement," Revista Finanzas y Politica Economica, Universidad Católica de Colombia, vol. 9(1), pages 135-149, February.
    8. Carrillo Maldonado, Paul & Ramírez-Álvarez, José, 2020. "Indicator of the efficiency of value added tax and income tax collection in Ecuador," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), August.
    9. José Manuel Cordero & Carlos Díaz Caro & Francisco Pedraja Chaparro & Cristina Polo Fernández, 2020. "Tributos cedidos y eficiencia en la gestión tributaria de las Comunidades Autónomas," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 232(1), pages 75-112, March.
    10. Huang, Shwu-Huei & Yu, Ming-Miin & Huang, Ya-Ling, 2022. "Evaluation of the efficiency of the local tax administration in Taiwan: Application of a dynamic network data envelopment analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    11. Shwu-Huei Huang & Ming-Miin Yu & Ming-Shenq Hwang & Yu-Shan Wei & Ming-Huei Chen, 2017. "Efficiency of Tax Collection and Tax Management in Taiwan's Local Tax Offices," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 620-648, October.
    12. K. R. Shanmugam & K. Shanmugam, 2022. "Designing Transfers Policy with Normatively Determined Revenues and Expenditures of State Governments in India," Working Papers 2022-237, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.
    13. Avellón Naranjo, Blanca & Prieto Jano, María José, 2017. "Los factores determinantes de la eficiencia en la gestión de las Administraciones Tributarias Autonómicas españolas/The Determinants of Efficiency in the Tax Management of the Spanish Regional Tax Adm," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 35, pages 749-776, Agosto.
    14. Jaime Bonet-Morón & Jhorland Ayala-García, 2016. "La brecha fiscal territorial en Colombia," Documentos de trabajo sobre Economía Regional y Urbana 235, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    15. Onesmo Kaiya Mackenzie, 2021. "Efficiency of tax revenue administration in Africa," Working Papers 02/2021, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    16. Iswahyudi, Heru, 2018. "Where has the money gone?: The case of Value Added Tax revenue performance in Indonesia," MPRA Paper 89876, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Martínez, Yolanda Ubago & Arzoz, Pedro Pascual & Arregui, Idoia Zabaleta, 2022. "Tax collection efficiency in OECD countries improves via decentralization, simplification, digitalization and education," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 298-318.
    18. Ибрагимова Найля Мурадовна, 2015. "Эмпирическая Оценка Эффективности Ндфл И Ндс В Узбекистане," Higher School of Economics Economic Journal Экономический журнал Высшей школы экономики, CyberLeninka;Федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Национальный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики», vol. 19(1), pages 81-103.
    19. Rodrigo Pereira de Oliveira & Bruno Ferreira Frascaroli, 2019. "Measuring the Efficiency of Tax Collection among Economic Sectors in Paraíba State Northeastern Brazil (2013-2015)," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(7), pages 24-33, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    tax administration; tax efficiency; data envelopment analysis; stochastic frontier analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H61 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Budget; Budget Systems
    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration

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