Culture versus Structure: A Critical Perspective on the Role of Culture in Tax Evasion

Culture is a somewhat nebulous term, particularly in the context of accounting scholarship. Historically, it has been offered as a factor to explain many economic phenomena, including tax evasion. Utilizing Hofstede's (1980, 2001) cultural dimensions and data from the World Bank from 2005-2010, this study takes an exploratory approach to develop a stepwise, forward selection regression model to better illuminate this phenomenon vis-à-vis culture and economic structure. The results suggest, at least within the context of tax evasion, that cultural indices may be redundant in the presence of other readily available socio-economic indicators. This brings the age-old debate of culture versus structure to the forefront of accounting scholarship and policymaking.