This paper derives the optimal financial contract when a borrowing entrepreneur can evade taxes in a model of costly state verification. In contrast to previous literature on costly state verification and financial contracting, we find that standard debt contracts are not optimal when tax...

This paper derives a government's optimal tax audit policy when taxpayers hold different beliefs about the likelihood of a tax audit. When audits are inexpensive, differences in perceived audit risk lead to stricter optimal auditing in equilibrium. If audits are relatively costly, heterogeneity...

This paper derives the optimal financial contract when an entrepreneur can evade taxes in a model of costly state verification. In contrast to the previous literature, we find that standard debt contracts are not optimal when tax evasion is possible. Instead, the optimal contract is debt-like...

This paper analyzes firms' tax evasion behavior in a principal-agent model with multitasking. A generalist firm-owner hires a specialist tax manager who chooses the quantity as well as the quality of tax evasion. Higher quality lowers the firm's expected fine for tax evasion. In contrast to...