PhD Studentship: Can Behavioural Economics Enhance (corporate and individual) Tax Compliance?

Start date of studentship: 01 April 2021

Closing date of advert: 10 March 2021

Interview date: TBC

Supervisors:

Primary supervisor: Dr Anna Rita Bennato

Secondary supervisor: Dr Chris Wilson

The supervisors have an excellent research profile with a range of internationally-recognised publications and a successful track record of supervising PhD students to timely completion.

Short Introductory Paragraph

With the following scholarship the candidate will have the opportunity to:

• explore how behavioural economics can help raise tax compliance and reduce tax evasion
• grow as an independent researcher by taking part in a project that will have real world impact
• work within a multicultural environment where the interactions between junior and senior colleagues represent a pivotal aspect which enrich the research environment.

Loughborough University is a top-ten rated university in England for research intensity (REF2014). In choosing Loughborough for your research, you’ll work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from our Doctoral College, including tailored careers advice, to help you succeed in your research and future career.

Find out more: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/supporting-you/research/ 

Full Project Detail:

Tax evasion is an illegal activity. Governments can often struggle to create the right incentives among citizens and corporations to fully comply with their tax obligations. Yet without the full tax payments, governments struggle to fund key public goods within society. Most traditional tax collection policies have been based on neoclassical economic models. Only recently, more attention has been devoted to the use of behavioural economics to better analyse how agents comply with tax law.

What types of policies will help encourage tax compliance and reduce tax evasion? Within this project, the student will combine behavioural economics, applied microeconomic theory and experimental economics to help further the understanding of these questions and aid government policy.

The PhD will provide great potential to generate academic publications and offer an excellent platform to pursue a career working in academia, government agencies or economic consultancies.

Find out more:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/sbe/study/phd/ 

Entry requirements:

UK Masters degree (with average programme mark of no less than 65%) or International equivalent. English Language requirement of IELTS band 7.0 or above with not less than 7.0 in each component. where the degree has a high level of economics content.

Funding information:

The studentship provides a tax-free stipend of £15,285 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus tuition fees at the UK/EU rate. International (non-EU) students may apply however the total value of the studentship will be used towards the cost of the International tuition fee in the first instance.

Contact details:

Name: Dr Anna Rita Bennato

Email address: A.Bennato@lboro.ac.uk

How to apply:

All applications should be made online at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/apply/research/. Under programme name, select Business School. Please upload with your application all the supporting documents listed below:

• A curriculum vitae
• An 800 words personal statement explaining your interest in, and aptitude for, the topic of this research project, and the qualities you can bring to the project
• 1-2 samples of writing such as a dissertation or essay from your MSc degree
• Copies of your transcripts/certificates, English Language certificate
• Two academic references on request

Please quote reference number: SBE-AR20

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