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AEJ: Policy - Previous Issues

AEJ: Policy - August 2009

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy

Vol. 1, No. 2, August 2009


Tax Sensitivity and Home State Preferences in Internet Purchasing
Glenn Ellison and Sara Fisher Ellison

Article Citation
Ellison, Glenn, and Sara Fisher Ellison. 2009. "Tax Sensitivity and Home State Preferences in Internet Purchasing." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 1(2): 53–71.
DOI:10.1257/pol.1.2.53

Abstract
Data on memory modules sales are used to explore aspects of e-retail demand. Aggregate sales are examined in state-level regressions. Discrete choice techniques are used to examine (incomplete) hourly sales data from a price comparison site. We find a strong relationship between e-retail sales to a given state and sales tax rates that apply to purchases from offline retailers, suggesting substantial online-offline substitution and the importance of tax avoidance motives. Geography matters in two ways: consumers prefer purchasing from firms in nearby states and appear to have a separate preference for buying from in-state firms. (JEL D12, H25, H71, L81)

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Authors
Ellison, Glenn (MIT)
Ellison, Sara Fisher (MIT)

JEL Classifications
D12: Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
H25: Business Taxes and Subsidies including sales and value-added (VAT)
H71: State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
L81: Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce