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What makes personal income taxes progressive? The case of Belgium

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  • André Decoster
  • Isabelle Standaert
  • Christian Valenduc
  • Guy Van Camp

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the progressivity impact of various components of the Belgian personal income tax system, before and after a major reform of this system. The reform reduced the top tax rates, broadened the tax base and increased tax credits. We show that, contrary to the opinion, commonly expressed in public debates, the reform did not reduce aggregate liability progression of the system and that the rate structure is relatively unimportant in explaining progressivity.

Suggested Citation

  • André Decoster & Isabelle Standaert & Christian Valenduc & Guy Van Camp, 2002. "What makes personal income taxes progressive? The case of Belgium," Brussels Economic Review, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 45(3), pages 91-112.
    • Handle: RePEc:bxr:bxrceb:y:2002:v:45:i:3:p:91-112
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    Cited by:

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    3. André DECOSTER & Guy VAN CAMP, 2000. "Redistributive Effects of the Shift from Personal Income Taxes to Indirect Taxes: Belgium 1988-1993," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven ces0007, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
    4. Li, Yali & Marquez, Ronald & Xie, Luhua & Li, Xinyi, 2025. "Evaluating the impact of special additional deductions policy on urban-rural household vulnerability: Insights from China Family Panel Studies," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 839-857.
    5. Can, Zeynep Gizem & O'Donoghue, Cathal & Sologon, Denisa M. & Smith, Darius & Griffin, Rosaleen & Murray, Una, 2023. "Modelling the Distributional Effects of the Cost-of-Living Crisis in Turkey and the South Caucasus: A Microsimulation Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 16619, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Jorge Onrubia & Fidel Picos-Sánchez & María Carmen Rodado, 2014. "Rethinking the Pfähler–Lambert decomposition to analyse real-world personal income taxes," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 21(4), pages 796-812, August.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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