Increasing the substitution elasticity can improve VAT compliance and social welfare

C-Tier
Journal: Economic Modeling
Year: 2016
Volume: 58
Issue: C
Pages: 293-307

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 0.5x C-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper presents a model of Value Added Tax (VAT) evasion in a monopolistically competitive closed economy. The paper shows that an increase in the intra-brand elasticity of substitution can lower output VAT evasion when under-reporting of final sales and input VAT credits occur jointly. Because of the improvement in VAT compliance, equilibrium prices will fall and VAT revenues will rise both in the short and in the long run. Disentangling the love of variety and the elasticity of substitution utility parameters, it turns out that, in a symmetric general equilibrium solution with free entry and exit of firms, an increase in the substitution elasticity is welfare improving when love of variety is not too strong.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:ecmode:v:58:y:2016:i:c:p:293-307
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-28