Anti-Mafia Police Actions, Criminal Firms, and Peer Firm Tax Avoidance
JUSTIN CHIRCOP, MICHELE FABRIZI, PATRIZIA MALASPINA, ANTONIO PARBONETTI
Journal of Accounting Research · 2023 · Volume 61 · Issue 1
Abstract
Mafia firms introduce distortions in the markets in which they operate, increasing the cost of doing business for peer firms. We investigate whether peers respond by increasing their tax avoidance and thus increasing funds available to compete with the Mafia firms. Using a sample of Italian anti-Mafia police actions that resulted in the removal of Mafia firms and a difference-in-differences approach, we find that peers reduce their tax avoidance following these actions. We further show that, following anti-Mafia police actions, peer firms improve their performance and increase capital investment while enjoying a reduction in the cost of raw materials. Overall, our results highlight the microlevel channels through which Mafia can affect firm outcomes and local economies.
Keywords
tax avoidance, criminal firms, organized crime, peer firms, anti-Mafia actions
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