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dc.titleEmployment and Taxes in Latin America: An Empirical Study of the Effects of Payroll, Corporate Income and Value-Added Taxes on Labor Outcomes
dc.contributor.authorLora, Eduardo
dc.contributor.authorFajardo, Johanna
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.date.available2012-10-03T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2012-09-24T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractThis paper empirically explores the effects of payroll taxes, value-added taxes and corporate income taxes on a variety of labor market outcomes such as employment, unemployment, informality, and wages. Using national-level data on labor variables for 15 Latin American countries, the results indicate that the effects of each tax are distinctly different and may depend on several aspects of labor and tax institutions. Payroll taxes reduce employment and increase labor costs when their benefits are not valued by workers, but otherwise increase labor participation and do not raise labor costs. Value-added taxes increase informality and reduce skilled labor demand. In contrast, corporate income taxes may help reduce informality, especially among low-education workers but, when tax enforcement capabilities are strong, may reduce labor participation and employment of medium- and high-education workers.
dc.format.extent67
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0011414
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Employment-and-Taxes-in-Latin-America-An-Empirical-Study-of-the-Effects-of-Payroll-Corporate-Income-and-Value-Added-Taxes-on-Labor-Outcomes.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectFiscal Policy
dc.subjectWorkforce and Employment
dc.subjectInformal Economy
dc.subjectInformal Labor
dc.subject.jelcodeH24 - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
dc.subject.jelcodeH25 - Business Taxes and Subsidies
dc.subject.jelcodeJ21 - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
dc.subject.jelcodeJ30 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: General
dc.subject.jelcodeJ32 - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits • Retirement Plans • Private Pensions
dc.subject.keywordsVAT, Payroll tax, Corporate income tax, Employment, Informality, Wages, Latin America
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberWorking Papers
idb.operationRG-K1237
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