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Welfare effects of taxation in oligopolistic markets

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  • Häckner, Jonas
  • Herzing, Mathias

Abstract

This paper discusses how marginal costs of public funds are related to various market characteristics under imperfect competition. Under a quite general tax scheme, these costs turn out to be lower the wider the firms' product ranges, the lower the degree of market concentration and the lower the degree of product differentiation. Moreover, marginal costs of taxation are lower in Bertrand markets compared to Cournot markets. In cases when marginal costs of public funds cannot easily be assessed we ask if pass-through rates can provide useful information for policy makers. The market characteristics that we analyze are shown to have opposite effects on pass-through and marginal costs of public funds. It is also demonstrated that the marginal cost of public funds is generally lower for ad valorem taxes than for unit taxes. The main results are based on a linear demand system, but a number of extensions confirm that our main results are reasonably robust.

Suggested Citation

  • Häckner, Jonas & Herzing, Mathias, 2016. "Welfare effects of taxation in oligopolistic markets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 141-166.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:163:y:2016:i:c:p:141-166
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2016.01.007
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    1. Ellalee, Haider & Alali, Walid Y., 2022. "A Welfare and Pass-Through Effects of Regulations within Imperfect Competition," MPRA Paper 116512, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Qidi Zhang & Leonard F.S. Wang & Yapo Yang, 2020. "Indirect taxation with shadow cost of public funds in mixed oligopoly," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 415-425, April.
    3. Anna Rita Bennato & Franco Mariuzzo & Patrick Paul Walsh, 2018. "Competition and Welfare Effects of Differentiated Taxation: Evidence from the Irish Automobile Market," Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) 2018-05, Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    4. Häckner, Jonas & Herzing, Mathias, 2017. "The effectiveness of environmental inspections in oligopolistic markets," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 83-97.
    5. Alexandrov, Alexei & Bedre-Defolie, Özlem, 2017. "LeChatelier–Samuelson principle in games and pass-through of shocks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 44-54.
    6. Marc Bourreau & Bernard Caillaud & Romain De Nijs, 2018. "Taxation of a digital monopoly platform," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 20(1), pages 40-51, February.
    7. Adachi, Takanori & Fabinger, Michal, 2022. "Pass-through, welfare, and incidence under imperfect competition," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    8. Kazuki Hiraga, 2019. "Unit versus ad valorem tax comparisons in a simple New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(4), pages 459-466, December.
    9. Häckner, Jonas & Herzing, Mathias, 2020. "The equilibrium compliance rate among regulated firms," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    10. Xingtang Wang & Leonard F. S. Wang, 2022. "Indirect taxation, quality choice, and social welfare," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 1764-1772, September.
    11. Ino, Hiroaki & Matsumura, Toshihiro, 2021. "Optimality of emission pricing policies based on emission intensity targets under imperfect competition," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    12. Häckner, Jonas & Herzing, Mathias, 2022. "Tax incidence in oligopolistic markets," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    13. Takanori Adachi & Michal Fabinger, 2017. "Multi-Dimensional Pass-Through, Incidence, and the Welfare Burden of Taxation in Oligopoly," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1040, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    14. Shiou-Yen Chu & Tsaur-Chin Wu, 2023. "Ad valorem versus unit taxes on capital in a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(6), pages 1435-1456, December.
    15. Naoshi Doi, 2022. "Choice of Policy Instruments with Endogenous Quality: Per‐Passenger and Per‐Flight Airport Charges in Japan," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(1), pages 44-88, March.
    16. Jiancai Pi & Kaiqi Zhang & Xiangyu Huang, 2023. "Financial globalization and wage inequality," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 70(2), pages 144-157, May.
    17. Takanori Adachi & Muhammad Michal Fabinger, 2017. "Multi-Dimensional Pass-Through, Incidence, and the Welfare Burden of Taxation in Oligopoly," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1040, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    18. You-hua Chen & Pu-yan Nie & Chan Wang, 2021. "Effects of carbon tax on environment under duopoly," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(9), pages 13490-13507, September.
    19. Takanori Adachi & Michal Fabinger, 2017. "Multi-Dimensional Pass-Through and Welfare Measures under Imperfect Competition," Papers 1702.04967, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2018.
    20. Michele Santoni, 2017. "Protective Excise Taxation," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 421-445, December.
    21. Kojun Hamada & Takao Ohkawa & Makoto Okamura, 2024. "The optimal specific or ad valorem tax when the other tax is exogenously imposed in a free‐entry Cournot oligopoly market," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(1), pages 251-266, January.
    22. Häckner, Jonas & Herzing, Mathias, 2022. "The strategic interaction between cartels and anti-trust authorities," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    23. Amir, Rabah & Jin, Jim Y. & Lasselle, Laurence, 2023. "Uniform, efficient and independent Ramsey taxes across markets," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 373-386.
    24. Henrik Vetter, 2017. "Commodity taxes and welfare under endogenous market conduct," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 137-154, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Welfare; Taxation; Imperfect competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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