The canonical model of Allingham and Sandmo (1972) predicts that firms evade taxes by optimally trading off between the costs and benefits of evasion. However, there is no direct evidence that firms react to audits in this way. We conducted a large-scale field experiment in collaboration with...

Without an express consent and authorization from the customer in relation to a FATCA disclosure, Chinese Foreign Financial Institutions' ("FFIs") compliance with FATCA would be in conflict with relevant domestic laws. However, under Chinese laws, Chinese authorities have broad powers to obtain...

A number of studies have examined the relationship between tax collection and various demographic variables. However, until recently most of those studies have involved a United States sample population. The Internal Revenue Service provides demographic data for researchers on a regular basis....

Aggressive tax planning efforts of highly profitable multinational companies (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS)) have recently become the subject of intense public debate. As a response, several international initiatives and parties have called for more transparency in financial reporting,...

Tax evasion costs government over 400 billion dollars a year. We suggest enforcement efforts can be strengthened by redesigning the tax return to take advantage of social psychology research, and industry experience with data-driven systems. To illustrate the potential of this approach, in this...

The cash economy and associated tax evasion is an on-going issue for most tax administrators. Tax evasion reduces national tax revenue, shifts the tax burden on to other taxpayers such as salary/wage earners and undermines confidence in the tax system affecting voluntary compliance as well as...

The Louisiana Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether someone could form an out-of-state LLC for no other purpose than to avoid the sales tax imposed on the purchase of vehicles. Plaintiff Roger Thomas freely admitted that he incorporated Angel Rocks, LLC under the laws of the State of...

We examine how creditor rights affect the trade-off between non-debt and debt tax shields. Using four bankruptcy reforms, a panel of private and public firms, and tax return data from Italy, we show that laws empowering creditors reduce tax avoidance and increase debt financing, consistent with...

Some noncompliant taxpayers fall outside the reach of third-party withholding and reporting. Revenue agencies may use enforcement and/or prosocial strategies to encourage compliance among such taxpayers. Revenue agencies should stand ready to use narrative as part of these efforts, despite...

In his observations on countering tax avoidance, Sir Ivor concludes that a clearly formulated, well understood and workable general anti-avoidance provision is an essential feature of a modern income tax system. But it is not the peg on which the whole system should rest. The practical answer...