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The failure of Ricardian equivalence under progressive wealth taxation

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  • Abel, Andrew B.

Abstract

Although the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem holds under a linear estate tax schedule, it fails to hold under a nonlinear estate tax schedule. In a representative consumer economy, a temporary lump-sum tax increase reduces contemporaneous consumption. If different consumers face different marginal estate tax rates because they leave bequests of different sizes, a lump-sum tax increase redistributes resources from consumers in low marginal estate tax brackets to consumers in high marginal estate tax brackets; aggregate consumption mey rise, fall, or remain unchanged. These departures from Ricerdian Equivalence hold more generally under any nonlinear tax on saving, wealth or income accruing to wealth.
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Suggested Citation

  • Abel, Andrew B., 1986. "The failure of Ricardian equivalence under progressive wealth taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 117-128, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:30:y:1986:i:1:p:117-128
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    Cited by:

    1. W D A Bryant, 2009. "General Equilibrium:Theory and Evidence," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number 6875.
    2. Francesco Forte & Cosimo Magazzino, 2015. "Ricardian equivalence and twin deficits hypotheses in the euro area," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 17(2), pages 148-166, October.
    3. Bilgili, Faik, 1998. "The effects of tax-cuts and government bonds on aggregate demand," MPRA Paper 75606, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. B. Douglas Bernheim, 1987. "Ricardian Equivalence: An Evaluation of Theory and Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1987, Volume 2, pages 263-316, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Artidiatun Adji & James Alm & Paul J. Ferraro, 2009. "Experimental tests of Ricardian equivalence with distortionary versus nondistortionary taxes," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 29(4), pages 2556-2572.
    6. Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2017. "Tenure and Spending Within UK Households at the End of the Recent Recession," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 1075-1104, September.
    7. Roberto Ricciuti, 2003. "Assessing Ricardian Equivalence," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(1), pages 55-78, February.
    8. Karen Smith Conway, 1994. "Reconsidering the Effects of Fiscal Policy On Private Sector Behavior: a Unifying View of Neutrality," Public Finance Review, , vol. 22(2), pages 195-221, April.
    9. Paul Oslington, 2012. "General Equilibrium: Theory and Evidence," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 88(282), pages 446-448, September.

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