The Intergenerational Causal Effect of Tax Evasion: Evidence from the Commuter Tax Allowance in Austria

Wolfgang Frimmel, Martin Halla and Joerg Paetzold ()

No 2017-01, Economics working papers from Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

Abstract: Does tax evasion run in the family? To answer this question, we study the case of the commuter tax allowance in Austria. This allowance is designed as a step function of the distance between the residence and the workplace, creating sharp discontinuities at each bracket threshold. The distance to these brackets is a strong determinant of compliance since it corresponds to the probability of detection. The match of different administrative data sources allows us to observe actual compliance behavior at the individual level across two generations. To identify the intergenerational causal effect in tax evasion behavior, we use the paternal distance-to-bracket as an instrumental variable for paternal compliance. We find that paternal noncompliance increases children’s non-compliance by about 20 percent.

Keywords: Tax evasion; tax morale; intergenerational correlation; intergenerational causal effect. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 D14 H24 H26 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45 pages
Date: 2017-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-iue, nep-pbe and nep-pub
Note: English
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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http://www.econ.jku.at/papers/2017/wp1701.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: The Intergenerational Causal Effect of Tax Evasion: Evidence from the Commuter Tax Allowance in Austria (2019)
Working Paper: The Intergenerational Causal Effect of Tax Evasion: Evidence from the Commuter Tax Allowance in Austria (2018)
Working Paper: The intergenerational causal effect of tax evasion: Evidence from the commuter tax allowance in Austria (2017)
Working Paper: The Intergenerational Causal Effect of Tax Evasion: Evidence from the Commuter Tax Allowance in Austria (2017)
Working Paper: The Intergenerational Causal Effect of Tax Evasion: Evidence from the Commuter Tax Allowance in Austria (2017)
Working Paper: The Intergenerational Causal Effect of Tax Evasion: Evidence from the Commuter Tax Allowance in Austria (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jku:econwp:2017_01

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