电子商务发展与增值税地区间分配

E-commerce Development and Inter-regional Allocation of Value-added Tax

电子商务作为推动我国经济高质量发展的关键动力,不仅重塑了价值创造和利润分配规则,也对基于地理边界的传统税收分配产生了深远影响。本文以国家电子商务示范城市试点政策为准自然实验,选取我国2006—2019年地级市面板数据,采用多期双重差分法识别了电子商务发展对地区间增值税分配的影响。研究表明,电子商务的赋能效应显著增加了试点地区增值税收入,但其产业集聚效应却加剧了税收分配的不均衡性,该效应在不同地理区位、创新能力和行政级别的城市间存在异质性,尤为重要的是,消费地课税原则对于解决地区间增值税分配的不均衡问题具有积极作用。本研究为电子商务与增值税地区间横向分配的实证研究提供了新的视角和经验证据,也为推进我国新一轮财税体制改革以及实现区域均衡协调发展提供了理论支持和政策参考。

The rapid growth of E-commerce in China has not only reshaped value creation and profit distribution but also challenged the existing tax system,particularly the inter-regional allocation of value-added tax(VAT).The shift in the economic landscape has led to tax base erosion and inequality across regions,posing challenges to the equalization of public services,balanced regional development,and the modernization of the national governance system.This paper investigates the impact of E-commerce development on inter-regional VAT allocation using the national e-commerce demonstration city pilot program as a policy shock,aiming to provide valuable insights into the relationship between digitalization and local finance.Employing a staggered difference-in-differences(DID)approach,this paper uses data for Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2006 to 2019.The data is collected from various sources,allowing for a robust analysis of the impact of Ecommerce on VAT and its allocation across regions.The findings reveal that E-commerce development enlarges local tax bases and elevates VAT revenue by reducing transaction costs and expanding the social consumption scale.The industry agglomeration effect of E-commerce exacerbates the inequality in inter-regional VAT distribution.The overlapping effects of E-commerce lead to a significant increase in VAT revenue in pilot cities,while non-pilot cities experience a drain of VAT sources due to the loss of industry chains and consumer markets.This disparity in VAT revenue allocation can further widen the gap between developed and less developed regions,hindering the goal of balanced regional development.The heterogeneity analysis indicates that the varying characteristics of cities and industries play a crucial role in determining the impact of E-commerce on inter-regional VAT allocation.Factors such as local economic base,innovation capacity,urban administrative level,and regional resource endowment influence the impact of E-commerce on interregional VAT allocation.This finding highlights the importance of considering the unique characteristics of each region when formulating policies related to E-commerce development and tax allocation.In the subsequent discussion,this paper explores the potential of introducing the consumption-based taxation principle to alleviate the imbalance in inter-regional allocation.The destination principle,which assigns tax revenue to the jurisdiction where the final consumption occurs,can help mitigate the imbalance caused by the agglomeration effect of Ecommerce.However,implementing such a principle requires significant reforms in the current VAT system and may face challenges in terms of the fiscal system and inter-regional coordination.Based on the findings,the paper proposes implications for policymakers.Firstly,strengthening policy support to promote local E-commerce development and empower industrial growth is crucial for regions to harness the enabling effect of E-commerce and enhance their fiscal capacity.Secondly,reforming the production-based taxation principle for VAT and improving VAT laws and regulations are necessary steps to uphold tax fairness and address the imbalance in interregional VAT distribution.Finally,exploring inter-regional sharing mechanisms for VAT and enhancing transfer payment systems can help achieve a balance in regional fiscal interests and promote equitable development across the country.The marginal contributions of this paper are twofold.Firstly,adopting the national e-commerce demonstration city pilot program as a research perspective,this paper provides empirical evidence on the impact of E-commerce development on VAT revenue and inter-regional horizontal allocation.This unique perspective enriches and deepens previous studies in the field.Secondly,this paper delves into the enabling and agglomeration effects of E-commerce,confirming the mechanism through which E-commerce influences VAT regional distribution.This paper provides valuable insights into the relationship between digitalization and local finance,contributing to further discussion on the fiscal implications of the digital economy.In conclusion,this paper sheds light on the complex relationship between E-commerce development and interregional VAT allocation in China.The findings underscore the need for policymakers to carefully consider the dual effects of E-commerce and formulate targeted strategies to promote balanced regional development and uphold tax fairness.As China continues to embrace the digital economy,understanding and addressing the fiscal challenges posed by E-commerce will be crucial for achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.