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Is A Value Added Tax Progressive? Annual Versus Lifetime Incidence Measures

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  • Erik Caspersen
  • Gilbert Metcalf

Abstract

We measure the lifetime incidence of a value added tax (V AT) using income data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and consumption data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX). When annual income is used as a measure of economic well-being, a VAT looks quite regressive. However, the results change significantly when the analysis is done using lifetime income. Using two different measures of lifetime income, we find that a VAT in the United States would be proportional to slightly progressive over the lifetime.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik Caspersen & Gilbert Metcalf, 1993. "Is A Value Added Tax Progressive? Annual Versus Lifetime Incidence Measures," NBER Working Papers 4387, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:4387
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    Cited by:

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    2. Daniel R. Feenberg & Andrew W. Mitrusi & James M. Poterba, 1997. "Distributional Effects of Adopting a National Retail Sales Tax," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 11, pages 49-90, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Yingxu Kuang & Ted Englebrecht & Otis W. Gilley, 2011. "A Distributional Analysis of the FairTax Plan: Annual and Lifetime Income Considerations," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 78(2), pages 358-381, October.
    4. Hooper, Paul & Smith, Karen A., 1997. "A value-added tax in the U.S.: An argument in favor," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 78-83.
    5. Bengtsson, Niklas & Holmlund, Bertil & Waldenström, Daniel, 2012. "Lifetime versus Annual Tax Progressivity: Sweden, 1968–2009," IZA Discussion Papers 6641, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Parry, Ian W.H. & Sigman, Hilary & Walls, Margaret & Williams, Roberton C., III, 2005. "The Incidence of Pollution Control Policies," Discussion Papers 10651, Resources for the Future.
    7. Parry, Ian W. H., 2004. "Are emissions permits regressive?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 364-387, March.
    8. Arsić, Milojko & Altiparmakov, Nikola, 2013. "Equity aspects of VAT in emerging European countries: A case study of Serbia," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 171-186.
    9. Florian Wöhlbier & Caterina Astarita & Gilles Mourre, 2014. "Consolidation on the revenue side and growth-friendly tax structures: an indicator based approach," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 513, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    10. William G. Gale & Samuel Brown, 2013. "Tax Reform for Growth, Equity, and Revenue," Public Finance Review, , vol. 41(6), pages 721-754, November.
    11. repec:ipf:finteo:v:39:y:2015:i:3:p:115-137 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Mathur, Aparna & Morris, Adele C., 2014. "Distributional effects of a carbon tax in broader U.S. fiscal reform," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 326-334.
    13. 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.
    14. Stanislav Klazar & Barbora Slintáková & Slavomíra Svátková & Martin Zelený, 2007. "Incidence of the VAT Rates Harmonisation in the Czech Republic [Dopad harmonizace sazeb DPH v ČR]," Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2007(1), pages 45-56.
    15. Francesca Gastaldi & Paolo Liberati & Elena Pisano & Simone Tedeschi, 2017. "Regressivity-Reducing VAT Reforms," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 10(1), pages 39-72.
    16. Hammar, Henrik & Jagers, Sverker C., 2007. "What is a fair CO2 tax increase? On fair emission reductions in the transport sector," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2-3), pages 377-387, March.
    17. Petr Janský & Klára Kalíšková & Daniel Münich, 2016. "Does the Czech Tax and Benefit System Contribute to One of Europe’s Lowest Levels of Relative Income Poverty and Inequality?," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 191-207, May.
    18. Đorđević Marina, 2015. "Satisfying the Principle of Fairness in Consumption Tax," Economic Themes, Sciendo, vol. 53(1), pages 37-50, March.
    19. repec:ijm:journl:v109:y:2017:i:1:p:39-72 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Suresh Narayanan, 2014. "The Impact Of The Goods And Services Tax (Gst) In Malaysia: Lessons From Experiences Elsewhere (A Note)," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 59(02), pages 1-15.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence

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