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on Informal and Underground Economics |
| By: | Salvatore Ciucci (Dipartimento di Economia, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”) |
| Abstract: | This study extends the theory of tax evasion by presenting a model of collaborative tax evasion between buyers and sellers. Buyers differ only in their level of tax morale, and tax evasion occurs when the seller fails to issue a receipt for the transaction. To counteract this, the government can disrupt the collusion between sellers and buyers by offering a tax rebate to buyers who request and retain the transaction receipt. The theoretical findings show that the tax rebate introduces a policy trade-off for the government between aggregate quantity and tax revenue. Furthermore, the marginal effect of the rebate on aggregate quantity, tax revenue, and social welfare is ambiguous. This study provides a theoretical foundation for understanding and managing the economic inefficiencies that may arise from tax rebate policies. |
| Keywords: | Tax rebate, cooperative tax evasion, tax morale |
| JEL: | H00 H20 H26 H30 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2025.26 |
| By: | Michele Liberatore; Anna Pettini; Alberto Tonini |
| Abstract: | This article analyses the impact of legalising cannabis production for industrial and pharmaceutical use in Morocco, paying particular attention to reducing illegal cultivation. Using an original dataset compiled from multiple sources and employing an advanced econometric approach based on the Synthetic Control Method, the study provides robust evidence of a substantial decrease in illegal production as a consequence of the reform. The results have two main implications. First, for Morocco, regulated legalisation emerges as an effective policy tool for reducing the informal economy, with positive effects on tax revenues and international trade. For Europe, and Italy in particular, the reform introduced in the North African country creates new opportunities for the supply of medical cannabis, providing an alternative or supplementary source that could help to alleviate the ongoing shortage of cannabis intended for medical use. |
| Keywords: | Morocco, cannabis, legalisation, synthetic control method, Law 13-21, rural development |
| JEL: | O17 C23 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12305 |
| By: | Michael Barczay; Mr. Shafik Hebous; Fayçal Sawadogo; Jean-François Wen |
| Abstract: | Mobile money has become a central digital alternative to traditional banking in developing countries, yet several African governments have introduced taxes on mobile money transactions. We develop a model that characterizes how such taxes affect payment choices and generate excess burden. The model predicts that taxation reduces mobile money use, with elasticities shaped by access to substitutes and transaction costs: banked users substitute into formal alternatives, while unbanked users face higher effective costs, making the tax regressive. Taxation also induces substitution into cash, raising informality. We empirically test these predictions using cross-country survey data and novel transaction-level data from Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Mali. Results show sharp declines in mobile money usage, with stronger responses among the banked. Unbanked and rural users bear a disproportionate burden. We use the empirical estimates to gauge the excess burden of the tax, which we quantify at 35% of revenue—highlighting its significant efficiency cost alongside its regressive impact. |
| Keywords: | Mobile Money Tax; Financial Inclusion; Transaction Taxes |
| Date: | 2025–12–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2025/255 |
| By: | Duarte López, Liliana; Vélez-Zapata, Claudia; Gómez-Zuluaga, María Eugenia |
| Abstract: | La innovación frugal implica medios y fines para hacer más con menos para muchas personas. Esta investigación analizó cinco emprendimientos informales ubicados en el barrio Castilla de la ciudad de Medellín, Colombia. El trabajo se realizó bajo un diseño cualitativo basado en técnicas como la entrevista semiestructurada y la observación directa no participante. Las evidencias recolectadas fueron reducidas mediante el método de análisis temático. Los hallazgos permitieron comprender la innovación frugal desde la eficiencia, recursividad y simplicidad. Con base en este proyecto, las entidades gubernamentales o no gubernamentales podrían afianzar sus esfuerzos en el fortalecimiento de estos emprendimientos informales, en busca de su sostenibilidad y aporte efectivo a la reducción de la pobreza y mejoramiento de las condiciones en el trabajo digno. También, se llama la atención sobre la necesidad de repensar los emprendimientos informales y la innovación frugal como una de sus fortalezas. |
| Keywords: | Innovación; Emprendimientos; Informalidad; Colombia; |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nmp:nuland:4431 |