Environmental taxes,reforms and economic growth: an empirical analysis of panel data

This paper explores the relationship between environmentally related taxes and the economic growth rate. The analysis also investigates whether this relationship differs between countries that have implemented environmental tax reforms (ETRs) and those that have not. Using panel data from 31 OECD countries over the period 1994–2013, the paper finds that when we allow environmentally related tax revenues to interact with an initial level of real GDP per capita, the overall revenues of these taxes are negatively associated with the economic growth rate in the short and long term. Furthermore, we show that the higher the initial level of GDP per capita, the more environmentally related tax revenues can promote the economic growth rate. The analysis also reveals that the relationship between environmentally related tax revenues and economic growth varies between countries that have a mechanism to redistribute environmentally related tax revenues and those that do not.     

CORPORATE TAX AVOIDANCE: A LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA

Tax avoidance can range from reduction of the corporate tax burden by legitimate use of tax rules to violation of tax laws. In this paper, we endeavor to synthesize the major findings of tax avoidance research from the accounting and finance literatures over the past ten years. We consider theoretical developments and the related empirical findings about the interconnected issues of measuring tax avoidance, and the possible causes and outcomes of corporate tax avoidance. We present some ideas for further research to examine underexplored topics regarding tax avoidance.     

Towards the Development of a Tax System Complexity Index

Reducing tax system complexity is a common goal amongst policymakers; yet there is no commonly agreed definition of complexity. This paper seeks to fill this gap, by proposing the construction of an index of tax system complexity, conceived as a summary indicator of the overall complexity of a tax system at a particular point in time. If adopted, such an index would not only enable assessment of the changing level of a country's tax system complexity over time, but may also facilitate comparisons of the relative complexity of different countries' tax systems in future.     

高管政治背景与民营企业综合税负——基于政治关联的非线性影响研究

民营企业通过与政府建立良好的关系获得与国有企业同等待遇,税负是其中重要的一个方面。现有研究从线性的角度分析了政治关联对民营企业税负的影响,实际上,不同政治关联度对税负的影响方向是不同的。以2009-2011年沪深两市A股主板民营上市公司为样本,探讨政治关联是否影响企业税负以及政治关联度的变化对企业综合税负率的影响。研究发现,政治关联有助于降低民营上市公司综合税负率,且政治关联度与综合税负率之间存在倒U型关系。研究还进一步确定了政治关联度的拐点,为政府规制政策的制定提供参考。     

城市居民税负感及影响因素的实证研究

根据北京市居民税负感调查所得数据,通过对居民税负感及其影响因素之间的相关性实证研究,得出结论,税负感与收入、文化程度、年龄以及对税收的了解程度等因素呈显著正相关,与是否参加社保呈显著负相关。在被调查的居民中,超过一半的居民税负感较重或很重,其中,收入越高和对税收了解的越多税负感就越重,本科学历和中年人群税负感较重,未参加社保的居民税负感较重,参加社保的居民税负感较轻。税负感研究的结论显示,居民税负感不仅与税收负担的高低密切相关,而且与国家的财政支出方向密切相关,扩大财政的民生开支是降低居民税负感的重要途径。     

完善农产品增值税制度的构想

我国现行对“对农业生产者销售自产的农产品免税”的政策初衷是为了照顾农民的利益,但政策的实际效果很不理想,导致了一系列问题。文章从理论和现实分析指出,解决问题的思路就是对农产品生产环节恢复征收规范的增值税,并提出符合我国目前国情对农业生产者恢复征收增值税制度的初步构想。     

The Effect of Friendly Persuasion and Gender on Tax Comliance Behavior

Friendly persuasion, in contrast to deterrent measures like tax audits and penalties on underreported taxes, is a positive and possibly a cost effective method of increasing taxpayer compliance. However, prior studies have failed to show that friendly persuasion has a significant impact on compliance (Blumenthal et al., 2001; McGraw and Scholz, 1991). In our study, in contrast to prior studies, we examine the impact of generating and reading reasons supporting compliance as friendly persuasion on individuals' income reporting behavior as well as control for gender effects. Specifically, we predict an interaction effect between friendly persuasion and gender on compliance behavior. We carried out a 2 (friendly persuasion and control) × 2 (men and women) full factorial experiment, where participants earned $30 by completing two questionnaires. Participants in the friendly persuasion group were required first to generate and second to read a list of reasons why they should comply fully. Afterwards, participants in both groups were asked to report the income they earned and pay tax on the reported income. The results show a significant main effect for gender as well as a significant interaction effect between gender and friendly persuasion on income reported. Women in the friendly persuasion group reported significantly higher income compared to men in that group. Other comparisons were not significant. Policy implications for increasing taxpayers' ethics and compliance are highlighted.     

Impact of Personal and Situational Factors on Taxpayer Compliance: An Experimental Analysis

This study used a laboratory experiment with monetary incentives to test the impact of three personal factors (moral reasoning, value orientation and risk preference), and three situational factors (the presence/absence of audits, tax inequity, and peer reporting behavior), while controlling for the impact of other demographic characteristics, on tax compliance. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) reveals that all the main effects analyzed are statistically significant and robustly influence tax compliance behavior. These results highlight the importance of obtaining a proper understanding of these factors for developing effective policies for increasing the level of compliance, and indicate that standard enforcement polices based on punishment alone should be supplemented by an information system that would acquaint tax payers with the compliance level of other tax payers; reinforce the concept of fairness of the tax system among tax payers; and develop programs that enhance and appeal to a taxpayer's moral conscience and reinforce social cohesion.     

免除农业税后村干部职能转变及其激励机制研究——基于对陕西省勉县和户县百名村干部和百名村民的调查

通过对免除农业税前后(2004年、2005年)陕西省勉县50名村干部、100名农户的跟踪调查及2005年10月对陕西省户县50名村干部的问卷调查发现,发展经济、提供公益服务将成为免除农业税后村干部最重要的工作,村干部的服务性职能明显增强。针对免除农业税后村干部面临的现实困境,本文认为解决问题的关键是要建立和完善村干部职能转变的激励机制。为此,本文重点构建了免除农业税后村干部的业绩测评体系,提出了要建立村干部的绩效工资机制等。     

关于企业税收流失与涉税人员的关系分析

对企业方面的税收流失与会计人员、企业负责人、税务人员、行政长官及社会监督人员的关系进行分析 ,提出税收流失重点在于预防 ,关键在于提高全体社会成员的税收意识 ,最终实现税收流失的源泉控制。