The determinants of tax evasion: a literature review

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to make a clear-cut distinction between tax evasion and neighbouring notions, present the theoretical justifications for the determinants of tax evasion, discuss some methodological issues related to the measurement of tax evasion and, finally, review the main results related to this topic and provide suggestions for future research. Tax evasion empirical research has been the subject of numerous studies during the past decade in developed and emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach – This paper focuses specifically on cross-country empirical studies. Findings – This paper shows that evidence is still limited, several approaches to measure tax evasion remain unexplored, results are mixed and four categories of variables have been identified in tax evasion literature, including demographic, cultural and behavioural, legal and institutional, and economic variables. Originality/value – This literature review represents a historical record and an introduction for researchers who aim to examine this topic in the future.