The International Centre for Tax and Development Working Paper 149 can be downloaded online

Also available: Paying for growth or goods: Tax morale amongst property owners in Lagos in the Journal of Experimental Political Science (August, 2023).

ICTD Working Paper 149

Growth or Goods: Examining Tax Morale Among Property Owners in Lagos

Nicole E. Wilson and Leah R. Rosenzweig

Summary

What motivates property owners to pay taxes in places where state enforcement is weak? Using an online experiment among property owners in Lagos, Nigeria, we evaluate the extent to which different appeals increase respondents’ tax morale, their willingness to pay taxes if there is no enforcement, and attitudes about government enforcement of tax collection. Respondents were randomly assigned to read either a vignette emphasising the role of property tax revenue in contributing to economic growth and increased property values, or one highlighting that tax revenue is used for public goods and services benefiting all residents. The growth message made respondents significantly more favourable towards enforcement of tax collection, but there was no difference in willingness to pay between the two treatment conditions. We also look at heterogeneity across class identification and attitudes toward redistribution, and find that support for a more equal society reduces the advantage of the growth appeal.

Photo by Namnso Ukpanah on Unsplash.