Socially Oriented Taxation and How It Is Perceived (Case Study of a Survey of Economists-To-Be)

Abstract

The article discusses the prospects for adapting unconventional tax mechanisms to tax administration in a secular multicultural state. The purpose of the study is to identify significant factors which determine the advisability of establishing socially oriented taxes as perceived by economists-to-be that do not possess enough information about alternative tax practices and mechanisms for their implementation. Scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that it considers socially-oriented taxation in more detail; this type of taxation is suggested to be considered in conjunction with religious tax practices, which significantly complements existing ideas about the specifics of functioning of modern tax systems. The research methodology includes the use of the questionnaire method. The respondents are future economists – students of Saint Petersburg State University. At the first stage, we test the level of awareness of respondents about alternative tax practices. During the second stage, with the help of ordered logistic regression, we design a model that shows the degree of tolerance to socially oriented taxation. We prove that the level of loyalty in this question depends on respondents’ perception of social responsibility, including the mechanisms for its practical implementation. In particular, of relevance are factors such as the willingness to give up part of personal income to support socially vulnerable groups; positive attitude toward non-state administration of socially oriented taxes; expectation of corresponding benefits on individual income tax. The survey proves that respondents who do not have enough knowledge about non-traditional tax practices show a high degree of willingness to take additional social obligations. We think that the results of the research have scientific significance in the context of development of ideas about current tax mechanisms, as well as religious and socially oriented tax. In addition, they can be applied in tax administration in secular multicultural states. We think that a promising direction for further studies in this area is to carry out surveys among economists-to-be in various regions of the Russian Federation, as well as to involve representatives of the academic and professional community in the debate on modernization of tax arrangements

Keywords

• socially oriented taxes
• religious taxes
• islamic taxes
• zakat
• tax mechanisms
• alternative tax arrangements
• islamic tax system
• islamic financial system