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Tax Burden and Migration: A Political Economy Theory and Evidence

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Author Info
Assaf Razin
Effraim Sadka
Phillip Swagel

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Abstract

The extent of taxation and redistribution policy is generally determined as a political-economy equilibrium by a balance between those who gain from higher taxes/transfers and those who lose. In a stylized model of migration and human capital formation, we show -- somewhat against the conventional wisdom -- that low-skill immigration may lead to a lower tax burden and less redistribution than would be the case with no immigration, even though migrants (naturally) join the pro-tax/transfer coalition. Data on 11 European countries over the period 1974 to 1992 are consistent with the implications of the theory: a higher share of immigrants in the population leads to a lower tax rate on labor income, even after controlling for the generosity and size of the welfare state, demographics, and the international exposure of the economy. As predicted by the theory, it is the increased share of low education immigrants that leads to the smaller tax burden.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 6734.

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Date of creation: Sep 1998
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:6734

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  1. Razin, A. & Sadka, E., 1998. "Migration and Pension," Papers 16-98, Tel Aviv.
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  2. Razin, Assaf & Sadka, Efraim, 1995. "Resisting Migration: Wage Rigidity and Income Distribution," CEPR Discussion Papers 1091, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Mirrlees, James A, 1971. "An Exploration in the Theory of Optimum Income Taxation," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(114), pages 175-208, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Nerlove, Marc & Razin, Assaf & Sadka, Efraim & Weizsaecker, Robert K. von, 1992. "Comprehensive Income Taxation, Investments in Human and Physical Capital, and Productivity," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich.
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  5. Saint-Paul, Gilles, 1994. "Unemployment, wage rigidity, and the returns to education," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 535-543, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Dani Rodrik, 1998. "Why Do More Open Economies Have Bigger Governments?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 106(5), pages 997-1032, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Canova, Fabio & Ravn, Morten O., 1998. "The Macroeconomic Effects of German Unification: Real Adjustments and the Welfare State," CEPR Discussion Papers 2038, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. David E. Wildasin, 1994. "Income Redistribution and Migration," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 27(3), pages 637-56, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Mendoza, Enrique G. & Milesi-Ferretti, Gian Maria & Asea, Patrick, 1997. "On the ineffectiveness of tax policy in altering long-run growth: Harberger's superneutrality conjecture," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 99-126, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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