To elicit the views of workers, we carried out an innovative survey of new unemployment insurance (UI) recipients. Most UI recipients express a willingness to accept wage cuts of 5-10 percent to stay on their job for another 12 months. Remarkably, one third would accept a 25 percent cut in pay. Yet we also find […]
Wage incentives
Impact of incentives on tax collectors and taxpayers
Tax collectors in developing countries collect far less tax revenue as a share of gross domestic product than tax collectors in higher income countries. In many of these developing countries, tax officials have discretion in assessing, enforcing, and auditing taxes. In addition, they earn relatively low wages with fewer rewards for good performance, allowing for the possibility of collusion with taxpayers. In the case of property taxes, officials may accept payments in exchange for leaving properties off the tax rolls, granting inappropriate exemptions, or assessing properties at a lower rate, all of which lead to lower revenues for the state.
