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Optimal taxes and pensions in a society with myopic agents

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Author Info
Kerstin Roeder () (Universität Augsburg)
Abstract

This paper derives the optimal pension and tax parameters in a society where individuals differ in two characteristics: rationality and productivity. Rational agents, if not liquidity constrained, smooth consumption over their life-cycle. Myopic agents, by contrast, have ex ante a strong preference for the present and undertake no savings, even though, ex post they regret their decision. Given a paternalistic social objective aiming at maximizing the sum over ex post utilities, this paper shows how both transfer systems interact in their degree of redistribution and generosity. Moreover, it reveals how the optimal policy parameters change if capital markets are imperfect, implying that agents cannot borrow against their retirement benefits. Analytical and numerical results show that in some cases only one transfer system prevails.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB) in its series Working Papers with number 2009/28.

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Length: 34 pages
Date of creation: 2009
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Handle: RePEc:ieb:wpaper:2009/10/doc2009-28

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Related research
Keywords: Social security; redistributive taxation; myopia; credit constraints;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
D91 - Microeconomics - - Intertemporal Choice and Growth - - - Intertemporal Consumer Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving

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References listed on IDEAS
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  1. Cremer, Helmuth & De Donder, Philippe & Maldonado, Darío & Pestieau, Pierre, 2008. "Forced Saving, Redistribution and Nonlinear Social Security Schemes," CEPR Discussion Papers 6775, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Feldstein, Martin S, 1985. "The Optimal Level of Social Security Benefits," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 100(2), pages 303-20, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Laibson, David, 1997. "Golden Eggs and Hyperbolic Discounting," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 112(2), pages 443-77, May.
  4. Louis Kaplow, 2006. "Myopia and the Effects of Social Security and Capital Taxation on Labor Supply," NBER Working Papers 12452, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Hamermesh, Daniel S, 1984. "Consumption during Retirement: The Missing Link in the Life Cycle," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 66(1), pages 1-7, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Cigno, Alessandro, 2008. "Is there a social security tax wedge," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 68-77, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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This page was last updated on 2009-12-3.

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