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Can the removal of VAT Exemptions support the Poor? The Case of Niger

Author

Listed:
  • Dorothée Boccanfuso

    (GREDI, Department of Economics Business Faculty Université de Sherbrooke)

  • Céline de Quatrebarbes

    (CERDI, Université d'Auvergne Clermont 1)

  • Luc Savard

    (GREDI, Department of Economics Business Faculty Université de Sherbrooke)

Abstract
What is the best pro-poor value-added tax (VAT) design to increase public revenue in developing countries %3A A perfect uniform tax, a multiple-rate system, or a tighter tax base with a high rate? This debate remains relevant, even though many studies have analyzed the economic impact of VAT reforms. Most of these studies have considered VAT as a consumption tax when analyzing the social impact of VAT reforms. However, if VAT exemptions are implemented or if the tax administration is inefficient in issuing refunds for VAT credits, then VAT increases producer's tax burden and viewing the VAT only as a consumption tax becomes inaccurate. In order to take into account these complexities we built the first micro-macro computable general equilibrium model of Niger's economy in order to shed some light on the best pro-poor VAT design. The main result of the model reveals that broadening the tax base while maintaining a high VAT rate will lead to an important increase in poverty. Lowering the rate or maintaining exemptions on agricultural goods have the least impact on poverty. However, the social impact of exemptions depends on the net effect of the additional tax burden supported by producers and the increase in domestic demand.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorothée Boccanfuso & Céline de Quatrebarbes & Luc Savard, 2011. "Can the removal of VAT Exemptions support the Poor? The Case of Niger," Cahiers de recherche 11-04, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke, revised 05 Dec 2015.
    • Handle: RePEc:shr:wpaper:11-04
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    Cited by:

    1. Ronald Davies & Lourenço Paz, 2011. "Tariffs versus VAT in the presence of heterogeneous firms and an informal sector," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 18(5), pages 533-554, October.
    2. Beesley Revol, 2018. "Fiscal Policy is Simply Instrument that Bring Money for Developing in Country," International Journal of Business and Economic Affairs (IJBEA), Sana N. Maswadeh, vol. 3(3), pages 101-113.
    3. Jonathan Goyette, 2012. "Optimal tax threshold: the consequences on efficiency of official vs. effective enforcement," Cahiers de recherche 12-07, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke.
    4. Dhani Setyawan, 2012. "The Impact of Indirect Taxation on the Plantation Sector in Indonesia," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 3(4), pages 135-141.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Computable general equilibrium model; micro-simulation; Value Added Tax; exemptions; distributional analysis; Niger;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D58 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Computable and Other Applied General Equilibrium Models
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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