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Some implications of changing the tax basis for pension funds

Author

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  • Margaret E. Atkinson
  • John Creedy
  • David M. Knox

Abstract

Governments in many developed economies provide private pension plans with significant taxation incentives. However, as many retirement income systems are now being reviewed due to demographic, social and economic pressures, these taxation arrangements are also under scrutiny. This paper discusses some of the implications of the differences between the traditional taxation treatment adopted by most OECD nations and that adopted by Australia, where there is a tax on contributions, a tax on investment earnings and a tax on benefits. The results show that there are significant differences in the net value of the benefits received by individuals and the taxation revenue received by the government. On the other hand, it is shown that there is remarkably little to distinguish between the two tax structures in terms of summary measures of lifetime income, although the form in which the benefit is taken in retirement is significant in influencing intragenerational equity.

Suggested Citation

  • Margaret E. Atkinson & John Creedy & David M. Knox, 1999. "Some implications of changing the tax basis for pension funds," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 20(2), pages 189-203, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:ifs:fistud:v:20:y:1999:i:2:p:189-203
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    File URL: http://www.ifs.org.uk/fs/articles/0005a.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Atkinson, M E & Creedy, John, 1996. "Modelling Optimal Retirement Decisions in Australia," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(66), pages 39-59, June.
    2. Richard Disney, 1996. "Can We Afford to Grow Older?," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 026204157x, December.
    3. Creedy, John, 1997. "Lifetime Inequality and Tax Progressivity with Alternative Income Concepts," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 43(3), pages 283-295, September.
    4. John Creedy, 1997. "Lifetime Inequality And Tax Progressivity With Alternative Income Concepts," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 43(3), pages 283-295, September.
    5. Davis, E. Philip, 1998. "Pension Funds: Retirement-Income Security and Capital Markets: An International Perspective," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198293040.
    6. M.E. Atkinson & John Creedy & D.M. Knox, 1996. "Alternative Retirement Income Strategies: A Cohort Analysis of Lifetime Redistribution," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 72(217), pages 97-106, June.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. George Kudrna & Alan Woodland, 2012. "Progressive Tax Changes to Private Pensions in a Life-Cycle Framework," Working Papers 201209, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales.
    2. BURGGRAEVE Koen & DU CAJU Philip, 2010. "How Do Reference Values for Wages and Wage Indexing Influence the Impact of Labour Tax Reductions?," EcoMod2003 330700028, EcoMod.
    3. Paul van den Noord & Chistopher Heady, 2001. "Surveillance of Tax Policies: A Synthesis of Findings in Economic Surveys," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 303, OECD Publishing.
    4. Kudrna,George & Alan D. Woodland, 2015. "Progressive Tax Changes to Superannuation in a Lifecycle Framework," CESifo Working Paper Series 5645, CESifo.
    5. Koen Burggraeve & Philip Du Caju, 2003. "Reductions in employers' social security contributions in a wage norm and automatic indexing régime," Brussels Economic Review, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 46(4), pages 31-64.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • E27 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications

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