Value-added-tax rate increases: A comparative study using difference-in-difference with an ARIMA modeling approach

Collecting and managing taxes is a critical keystone to protecting a country’s financial intensity and developing a country’s tax system, where value-added tax (VAT) has proven to be a nurturing and steady foundation of income for governments. VAT is a primary source of financial gain in developing nations, which differs from economic income in developed nations, where economic income is primarily derived from tax income. This study examines the influence of the new VAT on non-financial Saudi-listed companies. We compared and examined the impact of the newly introduced 15% VAT in various non-financial sectors. Using charts, tables, appropriate variance analysis, and ARIMA model in the Difference in Difference approach. Regarding data, we targeted 2019 before the new VAT, the discovery of COVID-19, and 2020 after the new VAT and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that a sharp increase in VAT (with other unmeasured variables in this study) has a significant positive/negative impact on inter-industry volatility in corporate financial reporting metrics and was even more dramatic with the COVID-19 disaster. The proposed 10% VAT increase has caused significant fluctuations in companies’ metrics, for example, a decrease in average profits—2.16%, an escalation in more inactive companies, and a higher probability of bankruptcy among companies. Such an outcome would undoubtedly affect unemployment and possibly lead to a reduction in tax revenues in the long run. The consequences of an unexpected VAT increase raise the question of whether they accurately reflect the natural tax system in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the Saudi government may consider the practical implications of outcomes before taking the next step in interventions in non-financial sectors.