IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/eecrev/v178y2025ics0014292125001217.html

Dynamic effects of labor income taxation in an unequal Schumpeterian economy

Author

Listed:
  • Chu, Angus C.
  • Liao, Chih-Hsing
  • Peretto, Pietro F.

Abstract

How does taxation affect growth and inequality? To study this question, we develop a Schumpeterian model in which wealth heterogeneity influences the effects of tax policy. The key mechanism is that a change in consumption dispersion across heterogeneous households due to a change in labor income taxation can cause a novel positive effect on the employment of poor households in addition to the usual negative effect on the employment of rich households. Together, these effects yield an overall ambiguous response of employment to labor income taxation. A negative (positive) change of employment causes a negative (positive) change of innovation-driven growth in the short run and also a negative (positive) change of the real interest rate. Consequently, labor income taxation has an ambiguous effect on income inequality (e.g., asset income falls while labor income may rise) but unambiguously increases consumption inequality by reducing disposable wage income even for households that work more. Therefore, the effects on income inequality and consumption inequality are drastically different. We calibrate the model to examine its quantitative implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Chu, Angus C. & Liao, Chih-Hsing & Peretto, Pietro F., 2025. "Dynamic effects of labor income taxation in an unequal Schumpeterian economy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:178:y:2025:i:c:s0014292125001217
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105071
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014292125001217
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2025.105071?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maurizio Iacopetta & Raoul Minetti & Pietro F Peretto, 2019. "Financial Markets, Industry Dynamics and Growth," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(621), pages 2192-2215.
    2. Peretto, Pietro F., 2015. "From Smith to Schumpeter: A theory of take-off and convergence to sustained growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1-26.
    3. Iacopetta, Maurizio & Peretto, Pietro F., 2021. "Corporate governance and industrialization," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    4. James B. Ang & Jakob B. Madsen, 2011. "Can Second-Generation Endogenous Growth Models Explain the Productivity Trends and Knowledge Production in the Asian Miracle Economies?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(4), pages 1360-1373, November.
    5. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/5gcvpatejr92bbog69gpen3cmn is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Jones, Charles I & Williams, John C, 2000. "Too Much of a Good Thing? The Economics of Investment in R&D," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 65-85, March.
    7. Cecilia García-Peñalosa & Stephen Turnovsky, 2006. "Growth and income inequality: a canonical model," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 28(1), pages 25-49, May.
    8. Brent Neiman, 2014. "The Global Decline of the Labor Share," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(1), pages 61-103.
    9. Philippe Aghion & Ufuk Akcigit & Antonin Bergeaud & Richard Blundell & David Hemous, 2019. "Innovation and Top Income Inequality," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 86(1), pages 1-45.
    10. Angus C. Chu & Guido Cozzi & Haichao Fang & Yuichi Furukawa & Chih-Hsing Liao, 2019. "Innovation and Inequality in a Monetary Schumpeterian Model with Heterogeneous Households and Firms," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 34, pages 141-164, October.
    11. Zeng, Jinli & Zhang, Jie, 2002. "Long-run growth effects of taxation in a non-scale growth model with innovation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 391-403, May.
    12. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 1991. "Quality Ladders in the Theory of Growth," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(1), pages 43-61.
    13. Schetter, Ulrich & Schneider, Maik T. & Jäggi, Adrian, 2024. "Inequality, openness, and growth through creative destruction," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    14. Charles I. Jones & Jihee Kim, 2018. "A Schumpeterian Model of Top Income Inequality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(5), pages 1785-1826.
    15. Angus Chu & Guido Cozzi, 2018. "Effects of Patents versus R&D subsidies on Income Inequality," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 29, pages 68-84, July.
    16. Roine, Jesper & Vlachos, Jonas & Waldenström, Daniel, 2009. "The long-run determinants of inequality: What can we learn from top income data?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(7-8), pages 974-988, August.
    17. Philippe Aghion & Patrick Bolton, 1997. "A Theory of Trickle-Down Growth and Development," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 64(2), pages 151-172.
    18. Aghion, Philippe & Howitt, Peter, 1992. "A Model of Growth through Creative Destruction," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 60(2), pages 323-351, March.
    19. Cecilia García-Peñalosa & Jean-François Wen, 2008. "Redistribution and entrepreneurship with Schumpeterian growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 57-80, March.
    20. Reto Foellmi & Josef Zweimuller, 2006. "Income Distribution and Demand-Induced Innovations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 73(4), pages 941-960.
    21. Oded Galor & Omer Moav, 2004. "From Physical to Human Capital Accumulation: Inequality and the Process of Development," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 71(4), pages 1001-1026.
    22. Peretto, Pietro F, 1998. "Technological Change and Population Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 283-311, December.
    23. Smulders, Sjak & van de Klundert, Theo, 1995. "Imperfect competition, concentration and growth with firm-specific R & D," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 139-160, January.
    24. William G. Gale & Aaron Krupkin & Kim Rueben, 2015. "The Relationship Between Taxes and Growth at the State Level: New Evidence," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 68(4), pages 919-942, December.
    25. Peretto, Pietro F., 2007. "Corporate taxes, growth and welfare in a Schumpeterian economy," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 137(1), pages 353-382, November.
    26. Lin, Hwan C. & Russo, Benjamin, 1999. "A Taxation Policy Toward Capital, Technology and Long-Run Growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 463-491, July.
    27. Jakob Madsen, 2008. "Semi-endogenous versus Schumpeterian growth models: testing the knowledge production function using international data," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-26, March.
    28. Raj Chetty & Adam Guren & Day Manoli & Andrea Weber, 2011. "Are Micro and Macro Labor Supply Elasticities Consistent? A Review of Evidence on the Intensive and Extensive Margins," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(3), pages 471-475, May.
    29. Nir Jaimovich & Sergio Rebelo, 2017. "Nonlinear Effects of Taxation on Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 125(1), pages 265-291.
    30. Arawatari, Ryo & Hori, Takeo & Mino, Kazuo, 2023. "Government expenditure and economic growth: A heterogeneous-agents approach," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    31. Oded Galor & Joseph Zeira, 1993. "Income Distribution and Macroeconomics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(1), pages 35-52.
    32. Pietro F. Peretto, 2011. "The Growth and Welfare Effects of Deficit-Financed Dividend Tax Cuts," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(5), pages 835-869, August.
    33. Chen, Ping-ho & Chu, Angus C. & Chu, Hsun & Lai, Ching-chong, 2017. "Short-run and long-run effects of capital taxation on innovation and economic growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 207-221.
    34. Angus C. Chu & Yuichi Furukawa & Sushanta Mallick & Pietro Peretto & Xilin Wang, 2021. "Dynamic effects of patent policy on innovation and inequality in a Schumpeterian economy," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 71(4), pages 1429-1465, June.
    35. Christopher Laincz & Pietro Peretto, 2006. "Scale effects in endogenous growth theory: an error of aggregation not specification," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 263-288, September.
    36. Romer, Paul M, 1990. "Endogenous Technological Change," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 71-102, October.
    37. Keishun Suzuki, 2022. "Corporate tax cuts in a Schumpeterian growth model with an endogenous market structure," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 24(2), pages 324-347, April.
    38. Chu, Angus C. & Peretto, Pietro F., 2023. "Innovation and inequality from stagnation to growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    39. Peretto, Pietro F., 1999. "Cost reduction, entry, and the interdependence of market structure and economic growth," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 173-195, February.
    40. Madsen, Jakob B., 2010. "The anatomy of growth in the OECD since 1870," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(6), pages 753-767, September.
    41. Maurizio Iacopetta & Raoul Minetti & Pietro Peretto, 2019. "Financial Markets, Industry Dynamics and Growth," Post-Print halshs-03515546, HAL.
    42. Chou, Chien-Fu & Talmain, Gabriel, 1996. "Redistribution and Growth: Pareto Improvements," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 505-523, December.
    43. Tetsugen Haruyama & Jun-ichi Itaya, 2006. "Do Distortionary Taxes Always Harm Growth?," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 87(2), pages 99-126, March.
    44. Angus C. Chu, 2010. "Effects of Patent Policy on Income and Consumption Inequality in a R&D Growth Model," Southern Economic Journal, Southern Economic Association, vol. 77(2), pages 336-350, October.
    45. Ugo Troiano, 2017. "Do Taxes Increase Economic Inequality? A Comparative Study Based on the State Personal Income Tax," NBER Working Papers 24175, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    46. Peretto, Pietro F, 2003. "Fiscal Policy and Long-Run Growth in R&D-Based Models with Endogenous Market Structure," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 325-347, September.
    47. Chen, Ping-Ho & Chu, Angus C. & Chu, Hsun & Lai, Ching-Chong, 2023. "Optimal capital taxation in an economy with innovation-driven growth," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(3), pages 635-668, April.
    48. Barro, Robert J, 2000. "Inequality and Growth in a Panel of Countries," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 5-32, March.
    49. Segerstrom, Paul S & Anant, T C A & Dinopoulos, Elias, 1990. "A Schumpeterian Model of the Product Life Cycle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1077-1091, December.
    50. Peter Howitt, 1999. "Steady Endogenous Growth with Population and R & D Inputs Growing," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(4), pages 715-730, August.
    51. Michael Keane & Richard Rogerson, 2012. "Micro and Macro Labor Supply Elasticities: A Reassessment of Conventional Wisdom," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 50(2), pages 464-476, June.
    52. Cecilia Garc√Ça-Pe√Ëalosa & Stephen J. Turnovsky, 2011. "Taxation and Income Distribution Dynamics in a Neoclassical Growth Model," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(8), pages 1543-1577, December.
    53. Alexander Bick & Adam Blandin & Richard Rogerson, 2024. "Hours Worked and Lifetime Earnings Inequality," Working Papers 2024-024, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, revised 06 Apr 2025.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Di & Wang, Xilin, 2025. "Unions, Growth and Inequality in a Schumpeterian Economy," MPRA Paper 123942, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chu, Angus C. & Liao, Chih-Hsing & Peretto, Pietro, 2024. "Dynamic effects of taxation in an unequal Schumpeterian economy," MPRA Paper 122219, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Wang, Di & Wang, Xilin, 2025. "Unions, Growth and Inequality in a Schumpeterian Economy," MPRA Paper 125948, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Chu, Angus C. & Peretto, Pietro F., 2023. "Innovation and inequality from stagnation to growth," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    4. Lu Han, 2019. "The Mutable Geography of Firms' International Trade: Evidence and Macroeconomic Implications," Working Papers 201909, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    5. Angus C. Chu & Yuichi Furukawa & Sushanta Mallick & Pietro Peretto & Xilin Wang, 2021. "Dynamic effects of patent policy on innovation and inequality in a Schumpeterian economy," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 71(4), pages 1429-1465, June.
    6. Chu, Angus C. & Furukawa, Yuichi & Wang, Xilin, 2022. "Rent-seeking government and endogenous takeoff in a Schumpeterian economy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    7. Chu, Angus C. & Fan, Haichao & Wang, Xilin, 2020. "Status-seeking culture and development of capitalism," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 275-290.
    8. Chu, Angus C. & Peretto, Pietro & Wang, Xilin, 2024. "Government spending and industrialization in a Schumpeterian economy," MPRA Paper 120797, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Chu, Angus C. & Peretto, Pietro F. & Wang, Xilin, 2022. "Agricultural revolution and industrialization," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    10. Chu, Angus C. & Peretto, Pietro & Xu, Rongxin, 2023. "Export-led takeoff in a Schumpeterian economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    11. Luca Spinesi, "undated". "How innovation and heterogenous human capital shape wealth and income inequality," Departmental Working Papers of Economics - University 'Roma Tre' 0290, Department of Economics - University Roma Tre.
    12. Chu, Angus C. & Furukawa, Yuichi & Peretto, Pietro & Xu, Rongxin, 2024. "Agricultural trade and industrial development," MPRA Paper 122630, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Chu, Angus & Xu, Rongxin, 2026. "Tourism, takeoff and growth: A quantitative analysis of Macau," MPRA Paper 127890, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Lu, You-Xun & Lai, Ching-Chong, 2021. "Effects of patent policy on growth and inequality: A perspective of exogenous and endogenous quality improvements," MPRA Paper 111183, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Angus C. Chu & Yuichi Furukawa & Lei Ji, 2016. "Patents, R&D subsidies, and endogenous market structure in a schumpeterian economy," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(3), pages 809-825, January.
    16. Chu, Angus C. & Liao, Chih-Hsing & Xu, Rongxin & Chen, Ping-Ho, 2024. "Dynamic effects of tourism shocks on innovation in an open-economy Schumpeterian growth model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    17. Chu, Angus C., 2012. "Global Poverty Reduction And Pareto-Improving Redistribution," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(4), pages 605-624, September.
    18. Tabata, Ken, 2024. "Redistributive policy and R&D-based growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    19. Chu, Angus C. & Wang, Xilin, 2022. "Effects Of R&D Subsidies In A Hybrid Model Of Endogenous Growth And Semi-Endogenous Growth," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(3), pages 813-832, April.
    20. Chu, Angus C. & Kou, Zonglai & Wang, Xilin, 2020. "Dynamic effects of minimum wage on growth and innovation in a Schumpeterian economy," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • O23 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Development
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:178:y:2025:i:c:s0014292125001217. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eer .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.