COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TAX REVENUE BEFORE AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an unprecedented global economic contraction, fundamentally disrupting government revenue systems across developed and developing economies. This study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of tax revenue performance before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, examining the differential impacts across tax types, the role of automatic stabilizers, and the trajectory of revenue recovery. Drawing on data from the OECD, national budget documents, and empirical studies spanning 2020 to 2025, the research investigates how personal income taxes, corporate income taxes, value-added taxes, and excise duties responded to the pandemic-induced recession and subsequent recovery. The findings reveal that tax systems demonstrated heterogeneous responses: personal income taxes and social security contributions proved relatively resilient, while corporate income taxes and excise duties experienced sharp contractions. The pandemic accelerated digital transformation in tax administration and prompted significant discretionary policy interventions. Notably, revenue recovery patterns varied substantially across countries and tax types, with many jurisdictions experiencing temporary revenue surges followed by normalization. The study contributes to understanding the fiscal implications of systemic shocks and provides evidence-based insights for designing resilient tax systems. Key implications include the need for diversified revenue structures, enhanced automatic stabilizers, and strategic digital investment in tax administration to buffer against future crises.

Keywords: Tax revenue, COVID-19 pandemic, fiscal policy, automatic stabilizers, revenue recovery, comparative analysis, tax buoyancy