Tax compliance in a social setting: The influence of social norms, trust in government, and perceived fairness on taxpayer compliance

Abstract

Voluntary tax compliance is important for governments around the world as they try to manage budget deficits. Traditional methods to improve tax compliance, such as increased audits, can be costly to implement. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence that social factors have on individuals' tax compliance intentions. Results of a survey of 217 U.S. taxpayers found support for the influence of social factors on tax compliance. This research concludes that social norms influence compliance intentions indirectly through internalization as personal norms. Specifically, as the strength of social norms in favor of tax compliance increases, personal norms of tax compliance also increase, and this leads to a subsequent increase in compliance intentions. We also conclude that trust in government has a significant influence on both perceived fairness of the tax system and compliance decisions. This study adds to current tax research in two important ways. First, the results suggest that the influence of social norms on tax compliance is largely through internalization as personal norms. Second, to the best of our knowledge this is also the first tax compliance study in which perception of fairness is modeled as a function of trust rather than vice-versa. This research may help taxing authorities develop less costly and more effective strategies for increasing taxpayer compliance.