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Revenue Effects of Tax Facilities for Pension Savings

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  • Koen Caminada
  • Kees Goudswaard

Abstract

Many countries have tax facilities for pension savings. These facilities are often associated with the application of the cash-flow treatment of pensions: pension contributions are tax-exempt, capital income of pension funds is tax-exempt, and pension benefits are taxed, but usually at a relatively low rate. This paper investigates the revenue effects of a cash-flow tax regime for pension savings by full present-value calculations. A comprehensive income tax system is used as a benchmark. We present an empirical analysis for the Netherlands as a typical example of a country with funded pensions. Our calculations show that current taxation of pensions implies a major tax revenue loss. For the year 2003, we estimate a fiscal pension subsidy of 1.4% to 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2008

Suggested Citation

  • Koen Caminada & Kees Goudswaard, 2008. "Revenue Effects of Tax Facilities for Pension Savings," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 36(2), pages 233-246, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:atlecj:v:36:y:2008:i:2:p:233-246
    DOI: 10.1007/s11293-008-9114-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Théopiste Butare, 1998. "Social needs and the roles of governments and markets: The case of retirement pensions," International Social Security Review, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 51(3), pages 37-62.
    2. Casper van Ewijk & Nick Draper & Harry ter Rele & Ed Westerhout, 2006. "Ageing and the sustainability of Dutch public finances," CPB Special Publication 61.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    3. Pablo Antolín & Alain de Serres & Christine de la Maisonneuve, 2004. "Long-Term Budgetary Implications of Tax-Favoured Retirement Plans," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 393, OECD Publishing.
    4. Bovenberg, A L, 2003. "Financing Retirement in the European Union," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 10(6), pages 713-734, November.
    5. Casper van Ewijk & Nick Draper & Harry ter Rele & Ed Westerhout, 2006. "Ageing and the sustainability of Dutch public finances," CPB Special Publication 61, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    6. Koen Caminada & Kees Goudswaard, 1996. "Progression and revenue effects of income tax reform," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 3(1), pages 57-66, January.
    7. Philip Booth & Deborah Cooper, 2002. "The tax treatment of UK defined contribution pension schemes," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 23(1), pages 77-104, March.
    8. Sinn, Hans-Werner, 2005. "Europe's Demographic Deficit," Munich Reprints in Economics 934, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    9. David A. Wise, 2005. "Facing the age wave and economic policy: fixing public pension systems with healthcare in the wings," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 26(1), pages 5-34, April.
    10. Jonathan Gruber & David A. Wise, 1999. "Social Security and Retirement around the World," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number grub99-1, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Salvador Barrios & Flavia Coda Moscarola & Francesco Figari & Luca Gandullia, 2020. "Size and distributional pattern of pension-related tax expenditures in European countries," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(5), pages 1287-1320, October.
    2. Bernd Genser & Robert Holzmann, 2020. "Taxing German Old-age Pensions Fairly and Effciently," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 17(04), pages 36-40, January.
    3. Frederiksen, Anders & Halliday, Timothy J. & Koch, Alexander K., 2010. "What Do We Work For? An Anatomy of Pre- and Post-Tax Earnings Growth," IZA Discussion Papers 5298, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Bernd Genser & Robert Holzmann, 2020. "Are Dutch Old-Age Pensions Taxed Fairly and Efficiently?," CESifo Working Paper Series 8444, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pension saving; Tax treatment; Tax revenue loss; E62; H24; H55;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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