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Intergenerational aspects of ecotax reforms – An application to Germany

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  • Habla, Wolfgang
  • Roeder, Kerstin

Abstract

In a model of overlapping generations and majority voting, we analyze an ecotax reform consisting of the tax rate and the budgetary rule. Revenue can be recycled through a lump-sum transfer or a reduction in pension contributions. Our theoretical results as well as the calibration of our model to the German economy show that the median voter's preferred tax rate may exceed the efficient rate. This holds whenever income of the decisive voter is sufficiently high compared to the average income, as rich individuals benefit more from a reduction in pension contributions than they are harmed by an increase in ecotaxes. The calibration confirms that the median voter prefers the earmarking of tax revenue for reductions in pension contributions to the alternative lump-sum transfer. This is quite an accurate prediction of the situation in Germany. Aging of society as expected for Germany lowers the ecotax in the political equilibrium below its optimal level.

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  • Habla, Wolfgang & Roeder, Kerstin, 2013. "Intergenerational aspects of ecotax reforms – An application to Germany," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 301-318.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:66:y:2013:i:2:p:301-318
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2013.02.002
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    3. Rybicki, Jakub, 2017. "The Influence of Migration on Adaptation and Mitigation - a Political Economy Approach," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168190, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    4. De Miguel, Carlos & Montero, María & Bajona, Claustre, 2015. "Intergenerational effects of a green tax reform for a more sustainable social security system," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(S1), pages 117-129.
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    6. Minoru Nakada, 2020. "The impact of environmental tax revenue allocation on the consequence of lobbying activities," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 335-349, December.
    7. Frédéric Gonand, 2019. "Inégalité intergénérationnelle et recyclage d’une taxe carbone," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 70(3), pages 411-440.

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