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Optimal Distribution and Taxation of the Family

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Author Info
Louis Kaplow

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Abstract

Income tax burdens on family units are adjusted to reflect differences in ability to pay attributable to whether the unit consists of a single individual or a married couple and how many dependents are present. Substantial controversy exists over the appropriate forms of adjustment, and existing approaches to taxation of the family vary greatly across jurisdictions. This article derives equitable relative tax burdens for different family configurations from a utilitarian welfare function. The analysis considers how relative burdens should depend on the extent to which resources are shared among family members, the existence of economies of scale, the presence of altruism among family members, whether expenditures on children should be viewed as part of parents' consumption, and the possibility that some family members (children) have different utility functions from others.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 4189.

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Date of creation: Sep 1996
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:4189

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Louis Kaplow, 1996. "A Note on Subsidizing Gifts," NBER Working Papers 4868, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Pollak, Robert A & Wales, Terence J, 1979. "Welfare Comparisons and Equivalence Scales," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 69(2), pages 216-21, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Boskin, Michael J. & Sheshinski, Eytan, 1983. "Optimal tax treatment of the family: Married couples," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 281-297, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  4. Mirrlees, James A., 1972. "Population policy and the taxation of family size," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 169-198, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Choi, E. Kwan & Menezes, Carmen F., 1992. "Is relative risk aversion greater than one?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 43-54. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Nerlove, Marc & Razin, Assaf & Sadka, Efraim, 1986. "Some Welfare Theoretic Implications of Endogenous Fertility," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 27(1), pages 3-31, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  1. Bernd Genser & Andreas Reutter, 2007. "Moving Towards Dual Income Taxation in Europe," International Studies Program Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0717, International Studies Program, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University. [Downloadable!]
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