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On Tax Over-Shifting in Wage Bargaining Models

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  • Edward Calthrop
  • Bruno Borger

Abstract

It has frequently been noted in the wage bargaining literature that increasing average labour taxes may in fact be over-shifted in the pre-tax wage that is negotiated between unions and firms, raising workers post-tax wages. In this paper, we study the precise conditions for such tax over-shifting to occur under both Nash and Right-To-Manage bargaining structures, and considering both competitive and imperfectly competitive output market conditions. In the case of competitive output markets, we derive and interpret the conditions for over-shifting to occur and show that they hold for an entire class of commonly used production functions. Moreover, under monopolistically competitive output markets we show that tax over-shifting will occur when the firm has sufficient market power. The conditions on the production function, that were necessary and sufficient for tax over-shifting to occur under perfect competition, are shown to be no longer necessary. These findings hold for all bargaining structures considered. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Edward Calthrop & Bruno Borger, 2007. "On Tax Over-Shifting in Wage Bargaining Models," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 35(2), pages 127-143, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:atlecj:v:35:y:2007:i:2:p:127-143
    DOI: 10.1007/s11293-007-9063-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bargaining models; Tax over-shifting; H20; J51;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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