Tax complexity and corruption: An analysis of Latin American countries

The objective of this article was to identify the relationship between tax complexity and corruption in Latin American countries. The relationship between tax complexity and corruption has been demonstrated in previous studies. However, no study has analyzed this relationship considering five dimensions of corruption for the Latin American context. The study therefore fills a gap and contributes to the study of the phenomenon by identifying the correlations between different representations of corruption and tax complexity in Latin American countries. The study contributes to government agendas and actions to simplify and modernize the tax system. Moreover, corruption is a long-standing problem in Latin America. Therefore, understanding and discussing it is a fundamental step for academia to use its expertise to support political, cultural and social change. This study contributes by providing evidence on the characteristics of the tax system that Latin American countries should act on to reduce its complexity in order to achieve greater social justice and reduce corruption. The generalized method of moments (GMM) model was used to regress tax complexity, measured by World Bank variables, and corruption, measured by the Corruption Perception Index and four of its constituent constructs, from 2005 to 2019. The results suggest that countries with higher levels of tax complexity have higher levels of corruption. Moreover, countries with higher tax rates on profits and more separate taxes also have higher corruption rates on average. Furthermore, countries with higher levels of democratic accountability have lower levels of corruption. This research contributes to the advancement of the literature by highlighting the phenomenon, relying on the methodologies, variables and premises adopted by the main investigations carried out in the field, in the light of the theory of fiscal illusion.