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The Sufficient Statistic Approach: Predicting the Top of the Laffer Curve

Author

Listed:
  • Mark Huggett

    (Georgetown University)

  • Alejandro Badel

    (St. Louis Fed)

Abstract

We provide a formula that relates the tax rate at the top of the Laffer curve to three elasticities. The formula applies to static models and to steady states of dynamic models. We also explore whether existing methods for estimating elasticities, common in the elasticity of taxable income literature, accurately estimate the theoretically-relevant elasticity. Existing methods work poorly in models with endogenous human capital accumulation but better in models with exogenous human capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Huggett & Alejandro Badel, 2015. "The Sufficient Statistic Approach: Predicting the Top of the Laffer Curve," 2015 Meeting Papers 1396, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed015:1396
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bettina Brueggemann, 2016. "Higher Taxes at the Top: The Role of Entrepreneurs," 2016 Meeting Papers 332, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    2. Heer, Burkhard & Polito, Vito & Wickens, Michael R., 2020. "Population aging, social security and fiscal limits," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. John Bailey Jones & Yue Li, 2023. "Social Security Reform with Heterogeneous Mortality," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 48, pages 320-344, April.
    4. Lin, Boqiang & Jia, Zhijie, 2019. "Tax rate, government revenue and economic performance: A perspective of Laffer curve," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Yongsung Chang & Yena Park, 2021. "Optimal Taxation with Private Insurance [Uninsured Idiosyncratic Risk and Aggregate Saving]," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 88(6), pages 2766-2798.
    6. Fabian Kindermann & Dirk Krueger, 2022. "High Marginal Tax Rates on the Top 1 Percent? Lessons from a Life-Cycle Model with Idiosyncratic Income Risk," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 319-366, April.
    7. Alejandro Badel & Mark Huggett & Wenlan Luo, 2020. "Taxing Top Earners: a Human Capital Perspective," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 130(629), pages 1200-1225.
    8. Karel Mertens & José Luis Montiel Olea, 2018. "Marginal Tax Rates and Income: New Time Series Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 133(4), pages 1803-1884.
    9. Alejandro Badel & Moira Daly & Mark Huggett & Martin Nybom, 2018. "Top Earners: Cross-Country Facts," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 100(3), pages 237-257.
    10. Lippi, Francesco & Alvarez, Fernando & Ferrara, Andrea & Gautier, Erwan & Le Bihan, Hervé, 2021. "Empirical Investigation of a Sufficient Statistic for Monetary Shocks," CEPR Discussion Papers 16626, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Felix J. Bierbrauer & Pierre C. Boyer & Emanuel Hansen, 2023. "Pareto‐Improving Tax Reforms and the Earned Income Tax Credit," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(3), pages 1077-1103, May.
    12. Lundberg, Jacob, 2017. "The Laffer curve for high incomes," Working Paper Series 2017:9, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    13. John Bailey Jones & Yue Li, 2023. "Social Security Reform with Heterogeneous Mortality," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 48, pages 320-344, April.
    14. Gallen, Trevor S., 2021. "Predicting and decomposing why representative agent and heterogeneous agent models sometimes diverge," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    15. Uribe-Terán, Carlos, 2021. "Higher taxes at the top? The role of tax avoidance," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    16. Jacob Lundberg, 2017. "The Laffer curve for high incomes," LIS Working papers 711, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    17. A. M. Kalinin, 2022. "Increasing the VAT Rate in Russia from the Position of the Laffer Curve," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 353-358, June.
    18. Alejandro Badel, 2015. "Quantitative Macro Versus Sufficient Statistic Approach: A Laffer Curve Dilemma?," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 97(3), pages 257-267.

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    20. Mikhail Golosov & Aleh Tsyvinski & Nicolas Werquin, 2014. "A Variational Approach to the Analysis of Tax Systems," NBER Working Papers 20780, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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