IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/115180.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

A synthesis of local and effective tax progressivity measurement

Author

Listed:
  • Chakravarty, Satya R.
  • Sarkar, Palash

Abstract

This paper examines theoretical properties of local and global measures of income tax progressivity. In particular, consistency property of global measures with local measures is analyzed. Using a normative approach, an index of performance in effective progression underlying a tax system, in relation to that of a ‘norm’, is suggested and analyzed. The norm chosen here is the welfare level associated with the post-tax distribution resulting from an inequality minimizing taxation policy which maintains pre-tax rank orders of tax payers and does not impose any additional tax burden on them, given that the pre-tax distribution is fixed as well. As the actual post-tax welfare increases, effective progression (hence performance) improves, which ensures that it is possible to elevate the level of performance sequentially, as may be desired by a policy maker, towards achieving the norm welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Chakravarty, Satya R. & Sarkar, Palash, 2022. "A synthesis of local and effective tax progressivity measurement," MPRA Paper 115180, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:115180
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/115180/1/MPRA_paper_115180.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jacques Silber, 1994. "Income Distribution, Tax Structure, and the Measurement of Tax Progressivity," Public Finance Review, , vol. 22(1), pages 86-102, January.
    2. Bossert, Walter & Pfingsten, Andreas, 1990. "Intermediate inequality: concepts, indices, and welfare implications," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 117-134, April.
    3. Walter Bossert & William Schworm, 2008. "A Class of Two‐Group Polarization Measures," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 10(6), pages 1169-1187, December.
    4. Fei, John C H, 1981. "Equity Oriented Fiscal Programs," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(4), pages 869-881, June.
    5. Esteban, Joan & Ray, Debraj, 1994. "On the Measurement of Polarization," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 62(4), pages 819-851, July.
    6. Kolm, Serge-Christophe, 1976. "Unequal inequalities. II," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 82-111, August.
    7. Pak-Wai Liu, 1985. "Lorenz Domination and Global Tax Progressivity," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 18(2), pages 395-399, May.
    8. Le Breton, Michel & Moyes, Patrick & Trannoy, Alain, 1996. "Inequality Reducing Properties of Composite Taxation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 71-103, April.
    9. Daniela Mantovani & Simone Pellegrino & Achille Vernizzi, 2020. "A note on the maximum value of the Kakwani index," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 869-874, February.
    10. Oriol Carbonell-Nicolau & Humberto Llavador, 2021. "Inequality, Bipolarization, and Tax Progressivity," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 492-513, November.
    11. Weymark, John A., 1981. "Generalized gini inequality indices," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 1(4), pages 409-430, August.
    12. Kolm, Serge-Christophe, 1976. "Unequal inequalities. I," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 416-442, June.
    13. James Foster & Michael Wolfson, 2010. "Polarization and the decline of the middle class: Canada and the U.S," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 8(2), pages 247-273, June.
    14. You‐Qiang Wang & Kai‐Yuen Tsui, 2000. "Polarization Orderings and New Classes of Polarization Indices," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 2(3), pages 349-363, July.
    15. Chakravarty, Satya Ranjan & Dutta, Bhaskar, 1987. "A note on measures of distance between imcome distributions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 185-188, February.
    16. R. A. Musgrave & Tun Thin, 1948. "Income Tax Progression, 1929-48," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(6), pages 498-498.
    17. Suits, Daniel B, 1977. "Measurement of Tax Progressivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(4), pages 747-752, September.
    18. Eichhorn, Wolfgang & Funke, Helmut & Richter, Wolfram F., 1984. "Tax progression and inequality of income distribution," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 127-131, October.
    19. Pfahler, Wilhelm, 1984. "`Linear' income tax cuts: distributional effects, social preferences and revenue elasticities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 381-388, August.
    20. C. P. Khetan & S. N. Poddar, 1976. "Measurement of Income Tax Progression in a Growing Economy: The Canadian Experience," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 9(4), pages 613-629, November.
    21. Yoram Amiel & Frank Cowell & Xavier Ramos, 2010. "Poles Apart? An Analysis Of The Meaning Of Polarization," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 56(1), pages 23-46, March.
    22. Kienzle, Edward C, 1980. "Measurement of Tax Progressivity: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(1), pages 208-210, March.
    23. Atkinson, Anthony B., 1970. "On the measurement of inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 244-263, September.
    24. Jakobsson, Ulf, 1976. "On the measurement of the degree of progression," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1-2), pages 161-168.
    25. Moyes, Patrick, 1987. "A new concept of Lorenz domination," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 203-207.
    26. Elena Bárcena-Martin & Jacques Silber, 2013. "On the generalization and decomposition of the Bonferroni index," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 41(4), pages 763-787, October.
    27. Frank A. Cowell & Emmanuel Flachaire, 2017. "Inequality with Ordinal Data," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 84(334), pages 290-321, April.
    28. Pfingsten, Andreas, 1987. "Axiomatically Based Local Measures of Tax Progression," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 211-223, July.
    29. Frank A. Cowell, 1985. "Measures of Distributional Change: An Axiomatic Approach," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 52(1), pages 135-151.
    30. G.B. Hainsworth, 1964. "The Lorenz Curve As A General Tool Of Economic Analysis," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 40(91), pages 426-441, September.
    31. Fellman, J, 1976. "The Effect of Transformations on Lorenz Curves," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(4), pages 823-824, July.
    32. Kakwani, Nanak C, 1977. "Applications of Lorenz Curves in Economic Analysis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 45(3), pages 719-727, April.
    33. Kakwani, Nanok C, 1977. "Measurement of Tax Progressivity: An International Comparison," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 87(345), pages 71-80, March.
    34. Charles Blackorby & David Donaldson, 1984. "Ethical Social Index Numbers and the Measurement of Effective Tax-Benefit Progressivity," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 17(4), pages 683-694, November.
    35. Dasgupta, Partha & Sen, Amartya & Starrett, David, 1973. "Notes on the measurement of inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 180-187, April.
    36. Pfingsten, Andreas, 1986. "Distributionally-neutral tax changes for different inequality concepts," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 385-393, August.
    37. Wang, You-Qiang & Tsui, Kai-Yuen, 2000. "Polarization Orderings and New Classes of Polarization Indices," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 2(3), pages 349-363.
    38. Donaldson, David & Weymark, John A., 1980. "A single-parameter generalization of the Gini indices of inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 67-86, February.
    39. Satya R. Chakravarty & Rama Pal & Rupayan Pal & Palash Sarkar, 2022. "Minimum inequality taxation, average and minimally progressive taxations and depolarization," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2022-010, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    40. Sen, Amartya, 1973. "On Economic Inequality," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198281931.
    41. Bossert, Walter, 1990. "An axiomatization of the single-series Ginis," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 82-92, February.
    42. Blackorby, Charles & Donaldson, David, 1980. "A Theoretical Treatment of Indices of Absolute Inequality," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 21(1), pages 107-136, February.
    43. Satya R. Chakravarty & Palash Sarkar, 2022. "Inequality minimising subsidy and taxation," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 10(1), pages 53-67, May.
    44. John P. Formby & W. James Smith & Paul D. Thistle, 1990. "The Average Tax Burden and the Welfare Implications of Global Tax Progressivity," Public Finance Review, , vol. 18(1), pages 3-24, January.
    45. Blackorby, Charles & Donaldson, David, 1978. "Measures of relative equality and their meaning in terms of social welfare," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 59-80, June.
    46. Satya R. Chakravarty & Palash Sarkar, 2021. "Designing income distributions with specified inequalities," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 9(2), pages 297-311, October.
    47. Satya R. Chakravarty, 2015. "Inequality, Polarization and Conflict," Economic Studies in Inequality, Social Exclusion, and Well-Being, Springer, edition 127, number 978-81-322-2166-1, Fall.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Satya R. Chakravarty & Rama Pal & Rupayan Pal & Palash Sarkar, 2022. "Minimum inequality taxation, average and minimally progressive taxations and depolarization," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2022-010, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    2. Satya R. Chakravarty & Palash Sarkar, 2022. "Inequality minimising subsidy and taxation," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 10(1), pages 53-67, May.
    3. Duclos, J.Y., 1995. "Measuring Progressivity and Inequality," Papers 9525, Laval - Recherche en Politique Economique.
    4. Satya R. Chakravarty & Palash Sarkar, 2023. "New perspectives on the Gini and Bonferroni indices of inequality," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 60(1), pages 47-64, January.
    5. Carbonell-Nicolau, Oriol & Llavador, Humberto, 2018. "Inequality reducing properties of progressive income tax schedules: the case of endogenous income," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 13(1), January.
    6. Vincenzo Prete & Alessandro Sommacal & Claudio Zoli, 2016. "Optimal Non-Welfarist Income Taxation for Inequality and Polarization Reduction," Working Papers 23/2016, University of Verona, Department of Economics.
    7. Duclos, Jean-Yves, 1998. "Social evaluation functions, economic isolation and the Suits index of progressivity," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 103-121, July.
    8. Claudio Zoli, 2018. "A Note on Progressive Taxation and Inequality Equivalence," Research on Economic Inequality, in: Inequality, Taxation and Intergenerational Transmission, volume 26, pages 15-33, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    9. Urban, Ivica, 2017. "Measuring income redistribution: beyond the proportionality standard," EUROMOD Working Papers EM1/17, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    10. Duclos, J.Y., 1995. "Economic Isolation, Inequality, and the Suits Index of Progressivity," Papers 9510, Laval - Recherche en Politique Economique.
    11. Poddar, Satya N. & Genser, Bernd, 1986. "Measurement of effective tax progression," Discussion Papers, Series I 224, University of Konstanz, Department of Economics.
    12. Nanak Kakwani & Hyun Hwa Son, 2021. "Normative Measures of Tax Progressivity: an International Comparison," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(1), pages 185-212, March.
    13. Satya R. Chakravarty & Pietro Muliere, 2003. "Welfare indicators: A review and new perspectives. 1. Measurement of inequality," Metron - International Journal of Statistics, Dipartimento di Statistica, Probabilità e Statistiche Applicate - University of Rome, vol. 0(3), pages 457-497.
    14. John P. Formby & W. James Smith & Paul D. Thistle, 1990. "The Average Tax Burden and the Welfare Implications of Global Tax Progressivity," Public Finance Review, , vol. 18(1), pages 3-24, January.
    15. Patrick Moyes, 2007. "An extended Gini approach to inequality measurement," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 5(3), pages 279-303, December.
    16. Oihana Aristondo & JosŽ Luis Garc’a-Lapresta & Casilda Lasso de la Vega & Ricardo Alberto Marques Pereira, 2012. "Classical inequality indices, welfare functions, and the dual decomposition," DISA Working Papers 2012/06, Department of Computer and Management Sciences, University of Trento, Italy, revised Jun 2012.
    17. Satya R. Chakravarty & Nachiketa Chattopadhyay & Conchita D'Ambrosio, 2016. "On a Family of Achievement and Shortfall Inequality Indices," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(12), pages 1503-1513, December.
    18. Satya Chakravarty, 2007. "A deprivation-based axiomatic characterization of the absolute Bonferroni index of inequality," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 5(3), pages 339-351, December.
    19. Silvia Bortot & Ricardo Alberto Marques Pereira & Thuy H. Nguyen, 2015. "Welfare functions and inequality indices in the binomial decomposition of OWA functions," DEM Discussion Papers 2015/08, Department of Economics and Management.
    20. Oriol Carbonell-Nicolau & Humberto Llavador, 2021. "Inequality, Bipolarization, and Tax Progressivity," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 492-513, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    taxation; effective progression; inequality minimization; welfare; performance; policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:115180. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.