Building Fiscal Capacity in Developing Countries: Evidence on the Role of Information Technology

B-Tier
Journal: National Tax Journal
Year: 2021
Volume: 74
Issue: 3
Pages: 591 - 620

Authors (4)

Merima Ali (not in RePEc) Abdulaziz B. Shifa (not in RePEc) Abebe Shimeles (African Development Bank) Firew Woldeyes (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

Weak fiscal capacity is a major challenge in low-income countries. Recently, governments have adopted information technology to modernize tax collection; however, there is little evidence on the impact of such reforms. We narrow this gap using unique administrative firm-level panel data covering all business taxpayers in Ethiopia. We find a robust increase in value-added tax collections and reported sales following the adoption of electronic sales register machines (ESRMs), without decreasing formal employment. These effects are larger among downstream firms. ESRM adoption is also associated with a decrease in entry into downstream sectors.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:nattax:doi:10.1086/715511
Journal Field
Public
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-29