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The Optimal Distribution Of The Tax Burden Over The Business Cycle

Author

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  • Angelopoulos, Konstantinos
  • Asimakopoulos, Stylianos
  • Malley, James

Abstract

This paper analyzes optimal capital and labor income taxation for households differentiated by labor skill, income, and wealth, under a balanced government budget, over the business cycle. A model incorporating capital–skill complementarity in production and differential access to labor and capital markets is developed to capture the cyclical characteristics of the US economy, as well as the empirical observations on wage (skill premium) and wealth inequality. We find that optimal taxes for middle-income households are more volatile than the remaining taxes. Moreover, the government re-allocates the total tax burden in bad times so that the share of total tax revenue paid by middle-income households rises. This share also rises for low-income households but by significantly less, whereas the tax share for skilled households falls.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelopoulos, Konstantinos & Asimakopoulos, Stylianos & Malley, James, 2019. "The Optimal Distribution Of The Tax Burden Over The Business Cycle," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(6), pages 2298-2337, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:macdyn:v:23:y:2019:i:06:p:2298-2337_00
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Angelopoulos, Konstantinos & Asimakopoulos, Stylianos & Malley, James, 2015. "Tax smoothing in a business cycle model with capital-skill complementarity," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 420-444.
    3. Asimakopoulos, Panagiotis & Asimakopoulos, Stylianos, 2019. "Fiscal policy with banks and financial frictions," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 94-109.
    4. Angelopoulos, Konstantinos & Jiang, Wei & Malley, James, 2015. "Fiscal multipliers in a two-sector search and matching model," SIRE Discussion Papers 2015-67, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    5. Sakkas, Stelios & Varthalitis, Petros, 2018. "The (intertemporal) equity-efficiency trade-off of fiscal consolidation," MPRA Paper 90983, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Angelopoulos, Konstantinos & Jiang, Wei & Malley, James, 2015. "Fiscal multipliers in a two-sector search and matching model," 2007 Annual Meeting, July 29-August 1, 2007, Portland, Oregon TN 2015-67, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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