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Consumption smoothing and the measured regressivity of consumption taxes

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  • Kartik B. Athreya
  • Devin Reilly

Abstract

In this article, we address two questions. First, how will a move to pure consumption taxation matter for aggregate outcomes? Second, how regressive are consumption taxes? We find as follows. First, a move to a consumption tax will increase savings taken into retirement but will not alter either labor supply or consumption variability substantially. Second, we show that regressivity is a measure that is quantitatively sensitive to the frequency of income being used. In particular, we show that when measures of tax incidence are based on annual income, successful consumption smoothing leads to the appearance of high regressivity. Our preferred measure, which is based on lifetime earnings, shows that consumption taxes are proportional taxes.

Suggested Citation

  • Kartik B. Athreya & Devin Reilly, 2009. "Consumption smoothing and the measured regressivity of consumption taxes," Economic Quarterly, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, vol. 95(Win), pages 75-100.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedreq:y:2009:i:win:p:75-100:n:v.95no.1
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    Cited by:

    1. Kogawa, Takeshi, 2021. "The inter-cohort distributional effects of Japan's indirect tax reforms," Warwick-Monash Economics Student Papers 32, Warwick Monash Economics Student Papers.
    2. Artur Świstak & Sebastian Wawrzak & Agnieszka Alińska, 2015. "In pursuit of tax equity: lessons from VAT rate structure adjustment in Poland," Financial Theory and Practice, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 39(2), pages 115-137.
    3. Kartik B. Athreya & Devin Reilly & Nicole B. Simpson, 2014. "Young Unskilled Women and the Earned Income Tax Credit: Insurance Without Disincentives?," Working Paper 14-11, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
    4. Athreya, Kartik & Reilly, Devin & Simpson, Nicole B., 2014. "Single Mothers and the Earned Income Tax Credit: Insurance Without Disincentives?," IZA Discussion Papers 8114, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    Keywords

    Consumption (Economics); Taxation;

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