Obstacles and Factors Affecting Optimal Implementation of Value-Added Tax Act (Case Study of Zanjan Province, Iran)

The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive investigation of the obstacles and factors affecting optimal implementation of Value-Added Tax Act (the VAT Act) and to propose an effective model using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), The population of this study includes the taxpayers and tax officials in Zanjan Province. Relevant literature and previous studies were reviewed and the obstacles and factors affecting the optimal implementation of the VAT Act were identified. The detected obstacles and factors were verified by expert opinion. After that, the identified obstacles were classified into four main categories, namely, structural, administrative, cultural and finally economic and political obstacles and the effective factors were classified into four main categories, including, human resources, taxpayers, tax system and legal factors. Then, the questionnaires were distributed among the taxpayers and tax officials and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS and Amos software. The results indicate that both obstacles, i.e., the structural, administrative, cultural and economic and political obstacles and effective factors, i.e., human resources, taxpayers, tax system and legal factors have positive and significant relationship with the optimal implementation of VAT Act; in other words, these obstacles and factors exert a considerable influence on the optimal implementation of the VAT Act. The innovation of this research is that a wide range of the obstacles and factors affecting optimal implementation of VAT Act were identified and ranked. Considering the resistance economy and increasing pressure of sanctions, identifying the obstacles and factors affecting optimal implementation of VAT Act can be a major step forward in boosting tax revenues and reducing the government's dependence on oil resources.