Women more honest than men in paying taxes: Study

Sydney, Mar 21 (UNI) Women are more honest than man when it comes to telling the truth about taxes, a study has found.

The research by Professor Benno Torgler from the Queensland University of Technology shows that men are more at ease with evading their tax obligations.

''Being a woman rather than a man increases the probability of a person stating that tax evasion is never justified. Therefore women have significantly higher levels of tax morale than men,''Professor Torgler said.

''My research has shown that factors such as trust plays an important role in shaping tax morale around the world as well as in Australia.'' The study also found that elderlies and religious also are more likely to divulge the truth with their taxes, and ethics were a greater influence on doing the right thing than financial penalties.

According to Professor Torgler, another key factor influencing tax morale was the relationship between the taxpayer and their government.

That relationship had improved in Australia, he said, due to the introduction of a self-assessment tax system and an improvement in the transparency of public administration.

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