This paper studies optimal taxation in an overlapping generations economy. We characterize the optimal path of fiscal policy, both in the long run and in the transition to the steady state. The implications of this study are in sharp contrast with the prescription offered by infinitely-lived agent models. First, the government's desire to tax initial holdings of capital at confiscatory rates is endogenously curtailed by intergenerational redistributional considerations. Second, because of life-cycle elements, capital income taxes are in general different from zero even in the steady state. The tax rate on capital income should only be zero if it is optimal to tax consumption goods uniformly over the lifetime of individuals. The conditions for uniform taxation of consumption depend, in turn, on preferences, the age-profile of labor productivity, and the set of taxes available to the government.
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Length: Date of creation: 09 Nov 1998 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:uwo:uwowop:9812
Contact details of provider: Postal: Department of Economics, Reference Centre, Social Science Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2 Phone: 519-661-2111 Ext.85228 Web page: http://economics.uwo.ca/econref/WorkingPapers/
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Find related papers by JEL classification: E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
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.:
Auerbach, Alan J & Kotlikoff, Laurence J & Skinner, Jonathan, 1983.
"The Efficiency Gains from Dynamic Tax Reform,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 24(1), pages 81-100, February.
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Paul Klein & JosÈ-VÌctor RÌos-Rull, 2003.
"Time-consistent optimal fiscal policy,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 44(4), pages 1217-1245, November.
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Chari, V.V. & Kehoe, Patrick J., 1999.
"Optimal fiscal and monetary policy,"
Handbook of Macroeconomics,
in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 26, pages 1671-1745
Elsevier.
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