Remittances, Value Added Tax and Tax Revenue in Developing Countries

This paper examines the impact of international remittances on both the level and the instability of government tax revenue in receiving countries. It investigates in particular whether the presence of a value added tax (VAT) system increases the benefit of the inflows of remittances in terms of high and less volatile tax revenue ratio. This is supported by the fact that remittances are largely used for consumption purposes and contribute to smoothing private consumption. Using a large sample of developing countries observed over the period 1980-2006, and even after factoring in the endogeneity of remittances and VAT adoption, the results highlight that remittances significantly increase both the level and the stability of government tax revenue ratio in receiving countries that have adopted the VAT.Remittances;VAT;Tax revenue;Tax Revenue Instability

On the Causal Relationship between Government Expenditure and Tax Revenue in Pakistan

This paper applies the technique of Granger Causality to determine the relationship between total government expenditures and total tax revenue using annual revised estimates. The analysis discovers a firm unidirectional effect from expenditure to revenue suggesting the preference of controlling the spending decisions to reduce the tax revenue-expenditure deficit.Expenditure, Tax Revenue, Causality

Remittances, Value Added Tax and Tax Revenue in Developing Countries

This paper examines the impact of international remittances on both the level and the instability of government tax revenue in receiving countries. It investigates in particular whether the presence of a value added tax (VAT) system increases the benefit of the inflows of remittances in terms of high and less volatile tax revenue ratio. This is supported by the fact that remittances are largely used for consumption purposes and contribute to smoothing private consumption. Using a large sample of developing countries observed over the period 1980-2006, and even after factoring in the endogeneity of remittances and VAT adoption, the results highlight that remittances significantly increase both the level and the stability of government tax revenue ratio in receiving countries that have adopted the VAT.Remittances, VAT, Tax revenue, Tax Revenue Instability

Managing Tax Revenue Volatility

During the initial decade of the twenty first century a number of scholars in the American public administration arena suggested that certain social science methods, particularly those pertaining to portfolio analysis, can play an important role in managing tax revenue volatility. Several discussions involved an adaptation of Modern Portfolio Theory which indicates that investment decisions should be based on the mean-variance characteristics of “portfolios” which are collections of financial assets. This paper contributes to the technical aspect of the dialogue by outlining a procedure which may reduce some tax portfolio analysis complexities when applied to these kinds of revenue decisions

Analysing the impact of GST on tax revenue in India : the tax buoyancy Approach

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of newly introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) on tax revenue in India. This paper adopts the tax buoyancy approach for analysing the impact of GST on tax revenue. Design/Methodology/Approach: We conducted our study using semi logarithmic ANCOVA regression model in which we introduced Value Added Tax (VAT) and GST as dummy variables. Findings: Our study finds that after the introduction of GST India’s tax revenue has become less responsive to the changes in GDP. It indicates that post introduction of GST there is some reduction in the tax burden on the consumers and corporates which supports the government’s justification behind the introduction of GST. Practical Implications: The study is expected to help the government in deciding the future course of action towards effective policy making for revenue generation. Originality/Value: Since none of the existing studies analyses the impact of GST on tax revenue our study is unique and fulfils the gap in the existing literature.peer-reviewe

Privatization and government preference

This paper uses a mixed oligopoly model to examine the relationship between the privatization of a public firm and government preferences for tax revenue. From a public choice viewpoint, we assume the government prefers tax revenue to the sum of consumer and producer surplus, whereas the public firm only cares about the sum of consumer and producer surplus. The results indicate that if the government sufficiently prefers tax revenue, it will not privatize the public firm.Mixed oligopoly Privatization Taxation Government preference

Determining countries’ tax effort.

This paper presents a model to determine the tax effort and tax capacity of 96 countries and the main variables from which they depend. The results and the model allow us to clearly determine which countries are near their tax capacity and which are some way from it, and therefore, could increase their tax revenue. Our study corroborates previous analysis inasmuch as the positive and significant relationship between tax revenue as percent of GDP and the level of development (per capita GDP), trade (imports and exports as percent of GDP) and education (public expenditure on education as percent of GDP). The study also demonstrates the negative relationship between tax revenue and inflation (CPI), income distribution (GINI coefficient), the ease of tax collection (agricultural sector value added as GDP percent), and corruption.tax effort, tax frontier, tax capacity, tax revenue, stochastic tax frontier, inefficiency.

Tax Revenue Instability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Consequences and Remedies

This paper focuses on the sources and consequences of the instability of tax revenue in Sub-Saharan African countries. We take advantage of a unique and extraordinarily rich dataset on the composition of tax revenues for a large number of countries. Using panel data for 39 countries observed over the period 1980-2005, our results are threefold. Firstly, the instability of government tax revenue leads to an instability of both the public investment and government consumption, and finally, reduces the level of public investment. Secondly, foreign aid inflows appear to be an effective insurance mechanism against the instability of tax revenue by lowering the sensitivity of public investment with respect to tax revenue shocks. Finally, the reliance on domestic indirect taxation-based systems seems more stabilizing than the dependency on trade tax revenue.Tax Instability, Tax Composition, public spending, foreign aid, Sub-Saharan Africa

Tax Revenue Instability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Consequences and Remedies

This paper focuses on the sources and consequences of the instability of tax revenue in Sub-Saharan African countries. We take advantage of a unique and extraordinarily rich dataset on the composition of tax revenues for a large number of countries. Using panel data for 39 countries observed over the period 1980-2005, our results are threefold. Firstly, the instability of government tax revenue leads to an instability of both the public investment and government consumption, and finally, reduces the level of public investment. Secondly, foreign aid inflows appear to be an effective insurance mechanism against the instability of tax revenue by lowering the sensitivity of public investment with respect to tax revenue shocks. Finally, the reliance on domestic indirect taxation-based systems seems more stabilizing than the dependency on trade tax revenue.Tax Instability;Tax Composition;public spending;foreign aid;Sub-Saharan Africa

Tax Competition With and Without Preferential Treatment of a Highly-Mobile Tax Base

With the ongoing integration of the world economy, it is increasingly possible for taxpayers to shift taxable income across countries. This possibility gives rise to the well known problem of tax competition, whereby governments compete for internationally mobile sources of tax revenue by reducing the rates at which these sources are taxed. The result may be inefficiently low levels of tax revenue. See Wilson (1999) for a review of the tax competition literature.Working Paper Number 04-47