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Why Do Individuals Evade Payroll And Income Taxation In Estonia?

Author

Listed:
  • Kenneth A. Kriz
  • Jaanika Meriküll
  • Alari Paulus
  • Karsten Staehr

Abstract

This paper employs micro-level data to determine the factors characterizing individuals who evade payroll and income taxation in Estonia. Using logit estimation on three different cross-sectional datasets, we estimate the marginal effects of different individual characteristics on tax evasion. The three datasets give broadly analogous results. Payroll and income tax evasion is most prevalent in small firms and in the construction and agricultural sectors. Evasion is more common among individuals who work part-time, are of non-Estonian ethnicity, have relatively short education, earn a low income and are men. Tax evasion is more frequent among the young and the elderly than among the middle-aged. There are clear regional differences. The overall picture is that the relatively disenfranchised are most likely to evade payroll and income taxation in Estonia.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth A. Kriz & Jaanika Meriküll & Alari Paulus & Karsten Staehr, 2007. "Why Do Individuals Evade Payroll And Income Taxation In Estonia?," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 49, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).
    • Handle: RePEc:mtk:febawb:49
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    Cited by:

    1. Paulus, Alari, 2015. "Tax evasion and measurement error: An econometric analysis of survey data linked with tax records," ISER Working Paper Series 2015-10, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    2. Jaanika Meriküll & Maryna Tverdostup, 2020. "The Gap That Survived The Transition: The Gender Wage Gap Over Three Decades In Estonia," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 127, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).
    3. Kerly Krillo & Jaan Masso, 2010. "The Part-Time/Full-Time Wage Gap in Central and Eastern Europe: the Case of Estonia," Research in Economics and Business: Central and Eastern Europe, Tallinn School of Economics and Business Administration, Tallinn University of Technology, vol. 2(1).
    4. Kristjan-Olari Leping & Ott Toomet, 2007. "Ethnic Wage Gap And Political Break-Ups: Estonia During Political And Economic Transition," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 53, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).
    5. Jaanika Merikull & Tairi Room & Karsten Staehr, 2013. "Perceptions of unreported economic activities in Baltic Firms. Individualistic and non-individualistic motives," Bank of Estonia Working Papers wp2012-8, Bank of Estonia, revised 04 Feb 2013.
    6. Stanisław Cichocki & Joanna Tyrowicz, 2011. "Determinanty zatrudnienia nierejestrowanego w Polsce w okresach wysokiej i niskiej koniunktury," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 1-27.
    7. Leibfritz, Willi, 2011. "Undeclared economic activity in central and eastern Europe -- how taxes contribute and how countries respond to the problem," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5923, The World Bank.
    8. Jaan Masso & Kerly Krillo, 2011. "Mixed Adjustment Forms and Inequality Effects in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania," Chapters, in: Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead (ed.), Work Inequalities in the Crisis, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Iddrisu, Khadijah & Adu, Kofi Osei, 2020. "Property Tax Compliance in Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District in the Central Region of Ghana: Does Distance to Nearest Tax Office Matter?," MPRA Paper 121159, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2024.
    10. Jaanika Merikull & Karsten Staehr, 2008. "Unreported employment and tax evasion in mid-transition : comparing developments and causes in the Baltic States," Bank of Estonia Working Papers 2008-06, Bank of Estonia, revised 28 Nov 2008.
    11. Jaan Masso & Kerly Krillo, 2010. "Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: Minimum Wages in a Context of Migration and Labour Shortages," Chapters, in: Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead (ed.), The Minimum Wage Revisited in the Enlarged EU, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Leping, Kristian-Olari & Toomet, Ott, 2008. "Emerging ethnic wage gap: Estonia during political and economic transition," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 599-619, December.
    13. Josip Franić, 2019. "Explaining workers’ role in illegitimate wage underreporting practice: Evidence from the European Union," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 30(3), pages 366-381, September.
    14. Joanna Tyrowicz & Stanisław Cichocki, 2011. "Employed unemployed? On shadow employment in transition," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 38(2), pages 259-281, May.
    15. Bargain, Olivier & Etienne, Audrey & Melly, Blaise, 2021. "Informal pay gaps in good and bad times: Evidence from Russia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 693-714.
    16. Dagmara Nikulin & Ewa Lechman, 2021. "Shadow Economy in Poland: Results of the Survey," SpringerBriefs in Economics, in: Shadow Economy in Poland, chapter 0, pages 49-65, Springer.
    17. Meriküll, Jaanika & Tverdostup, Maryna, 2023. "The gap that survived the transition: The gender wage gap in Estonia over three decades," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    18. Towfiqul Islam Khan & Muntaseer Kamal & Faiyaz Talukdar, 2019. "Potential of Personal Income Tax in Bangladesh: An Examination of Survey Data," CPD Working Paper 126, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    19. Levenko, Natalia & Staehr, Karsten, 2023. "Self-reported tax compliance in post-transition Estonia," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    20. Joanna Tyrowicz & Stanisław Cichocki, 2010. "Employed Unemployed? On Shadow Employment During Transition," Working Papers 2010-05, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    21. Jaan Masso & Kerly Krillo, 2011. "Labour Markets In The Baltic States During The Crisis 2008-2009: The Effect On Different Labour Market Groups," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 79, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax evasion; unreported work; incentives; tax system;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • D19 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Other

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