Impact of IMF Conditions in terms of tax reforms towards Business sectors performanceA study correlates earning, expense, returns in goods of necessities.

Abstract

The intended purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of tax reforms instituted by the IMF on the performance of three specific sectors in Pakistan, namely, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. The study was designed to look at the correlation between revenue, expenditure, and returns with tax policy changes under IMF conditions on the goods of necessity sectors. The study used qualitative research design and supported the quantitative analysis in the collection of data through structured survey instruments given to 37 senior professionals and sales tax practitioners. The survey instrument was developed after a conducted exercise of rigorous expert consultation and pre-testing among respondents on their familiarity with IMF policies with perceived impacts of tax reforms on revenue generation through investment capacity into overall financial performance. Descriptive statistics reveal that more than half of the respondents are at least moderately familiar with IMF policies, of which 62.2% are from the manufacturing sector, 16.2% from the pharmaceutical sector, and 21.6% from the textile sector. Evidence suggests that most of the respondents experienced negative effects on generation and increased tax burdens owing to the reforms in tax. However, regression would show a weak positive relationship (R² = 0.059) between recent tax reforms and business performance, which means that tax reforms covered a smaller part of the variance in performance. The results from the ANOVA showed great differences among sectors, where the most affected was the pharmaceutical sector. Conclusions from the research indicate that although the IMF-imposed tax reforms would have a measurable impact, their overall effect on business performance would be small and call for further explanatory variables. These findings have both theoretical and practical value to policymakers and business leaders on how to tailor fiscal policies according to sectorial dynamics. Thus, future research should include wider variables and longitudinal data to study the complex relationship between tax and business performance.