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The Dynamic Effects of Personal and Corporate Income Tax Changes in the United States*

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  • Karel Mertens
  • Morten O. Ravn

Abstract

This paper estimates the dynamic effects of changes in taxes in the United States. We distinguish between changes in personal and corporate income taxes and develop a new narrative account of federal tax liability changes in these two tax components. We develop an estimator which uses narratively identified tax changes as proxies for structural tax shocks and apply it to quarterly post-WWII data. We find that short run output effects of tax shocks are large and that it is important to distinguish between different types of taxes when considering their impact on the labor market and on expenditure components.

Suggested Citation

  • Karel Mertens & Morten O. Ravn, 2013. "The Dynamic Effects of Personal and Corporate Income Tax Changes in the United States," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(4), pages 1212-1247, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:103:y:2013:i:4:p:1212-47
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.103.4.1212
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    Replication

    This item has been replicated by:
  • Carsten Jentsch & Kurt G. Lunsford, 2019. "The Dynamic Effects of Personal and Corporate Income Tax Changes in the United States: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(7), pages 2655-2678, July.

    • More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

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