Metaketa II: Taxation

What are the factors driving tax formalization in developing countries? Could formalization trigger a chain of effects culminating in an increase in tax compliance? Like tax compliance, a citizen’s decision to formalize his or her relation with the state seems to be the result of a comparison of the expected benefits of formalization to the expected costs. In the case of formalization, however, costs not only include future tax liability but, in many cases, include a costly and complex process. The Taxation Metaketa round seeks to answer these questions by implementing a series of research projects that assess the role of providing information about formalization on citizens’ intent to formalize and citizens’ formalization.

This Metaketa round was launched in Spring 2016 and will run until Spring 2020. This round awarded six projects—one each in Brazil, Colombia, DR Congo, India, Malawi, and Nigeria—ranging in funding from $150,000 to $250,000 provided by the UK's Department for International Development. The studies in this Metaketa round aim to study the effects of common informational interventions, which combines information about the process of tax formalization as well as its benefits and costs with assistance and or subsidies to reduce the cost to citizens. In addition, each project will involve at least one complementary intervention.

For additional information about the Metaketa Initiative, contact Jaclyn Leaver (EGAP Director of Research) at jleaver@berkeley.edu.

Metaketa II Steering Committee: Ana De La O (chair, Yale University); Don Green (Columbia University); and Peter John (University College London)

The Metaketa II: Taxation round has awarded six grants to innovative experimental research projects that seek to assess the effects of facilitating citizens’ formalization of their relationship with the state on access to publicly financed goods, and tax compliance. All of the projects use common informational interventions focused on providing information about the process of tax formalization along with a financial or in-kind subsidy such as access to registration assistance. In addition, each project will involve at least one complementary intervention.

The awards, provided by funding from the UK’s Department for International Development, range from $150,000 to $250,000. All projects will collaborate closely, in conjunction with the EGAP Metaketa II: Taxation steering committee, with the goal of maximizing the consistency of designs, interventions, and outcome measurement across studies.

Congratulations to the Metaketa II: Taxation award recipients!

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP) network is soliciting proposals for field experiments that seek to assess the effects of facilitating citizens’ formalization of their relationship with the state on access to publicly financed goods, and tax compliance in developing countries. This Metaketa round is funded by the UK's Department for International Development and invites studies that address the central question of whether formalizing state-citizen relationships increases access to public goods and services, and ultimately tax compliance, using two or more experimental treatment conditions. A common arm (or arms), to be implemented in a consistent manner by all supported projects, should seek to either assess the effects of encouraging people to secure a title to their property or other household/business assets, secure legal access to publicly provided utilities, or secure legal certainty of economic activities. Other formalization processes can be taken into account, as long as they present clear and tangible benefits to citizens. Encouragement interventions should aim to reduce the costs (financial, coordination, and/or human capital) of the processes of formalization.

Awards will range from $150,000 to $250,000. Please see the link to the full request for proposals along with links to the submission form and budget template below.

Please submit all materials in a PDF format to grants@e-gap.org. The deadline for submission is November 30, 2016, 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time.

Request for Proposals

RFP Submission Form

RFP Budget Template

Contact Jaclyn Leaver (EGAP Director of Research) at jleaver@berkeley.edu with any questions.

This call for expressions of interest is now closed. Thanks to all who applied. As mentioned below, this call sought to identify clusters of research projects with comparable interventions and outcome measures that would form the basis of the main Taxation Metaketa request for proposals. Please see below for a summary of the EOIs we received and stay tuned for the full request for proposals that will be launched in the next few weeks!

Metaketa II: Taxation Summary of EOIs

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

The Evidence in Governance and Politics network (EGAP) is requesting expressions of interest (EOIs) for leading edge experimental research projects on taxation and good governance in developing countries. This grant round is specifically designed to foster knowledge accumulation across studies. Successful applicants will engage in closely related projects and adhere to a common set of research standards. For this round, EGAP will support 5-7 research projects that address a common theme. This request for short EOIs seeks to identify clusters of research projects with comparable interventions and outcome measures, which will form the basis of the main call.

Please submit your EOI to grants@e-gap.org. The deadline for submission is September 15, 2016.

Expressions of Interest Form

Contact Jaclyn Leaver (EGAP Director of Research) at jleaver@berkeley.edu with any questions.

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