State Capacity and Tolerance towards Tax Evasion: First Evidence from Romania

We investigate the level of tolerance towards tax non-compliance and the informal economy in Romania, using a sample of 250 respondents. This variable is determined by a complex set of latent variables that include, but is not limited to, state capacity, social and business norms, the perception of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Călin Vâlsan, Elena Druică, Rodica Ianole-Călin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-06-01
Series:Administrative Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/10/2/33
Description
Summary:We investigate the level of tolerance towards tax non-compliance and the informal economy in Romania, using a sample of 250 respondents. This variable is determined by a complex set of latent variables that include, but is not limited to, state capacity, social and business norms, the perception of non-compliance, and the perception of distributive justice. We find that our respondents are intolerant towards tax evasion and the informal economy, but the level of intolerance is relatively mild. Using a partial least squares—path modeling approach, we also find that a weak state capacity and the perception of lack of distributive justice increases the level of tolerance. The perception of tax evasion stemming from media reports, and the respondents’ own self-enhancement bias, combine to push the level of tolerance lower.
ISSN:2076-3387