Abstract
This research paper aims to analyze and measure the impact of Financial Technology (FinTech) spread on enhancing tax collection performance and mitigating tax evasion in Iraq over the period 2018–2022. The study adopts both descriptive-analytical and econometric approaches. A composite index—the Digital Financial Services Spread Index (DFSDI)—was constructed as the independent variable based on the density of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Point of Sale (POS) terminals, and Point of Card (POC) payment devices, using the Min-Max normalization method. Tax collection performance (the dependent variable) was measured indirectly through the ratio of tax revenues to non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The empirical results using Pearson correlation analysis and Simple Linear Regression showed no statistically significant relationship or impact of the DFSDI index on the tax collection ratio at a significance level of )alpha = 0.05( The correlation coefficient was )r = -0.541( with a )p-value of 0.346(, and the coefficient of determination was )R2 = 0.293( with an statistically insignificant slope coefficient of )beta = -2.297( (p=0.346). Consequently, the null hypothesis (H0) was not rejected.
The economic interpretation suggests that while the expansion of digital financial services infrastructure serves as an enabling tool, it does not automatically translate into improved tax collection without direct integration and electronic linkage with tax administration processes such as e-invoicing, e-filing, automated tax payments, and database cross-checking—alongside limitations imposed by the short time series. The paper concludes that FinTech adoption must be part of a comprehensive tax reform strategy incorporating direct digitalization and institutional integration