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Tax Deduction Matters: Elasticities of the Laffer Curve, Taxable Income, and Tax Revenue

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Listed:
  • Hiroshi Gunji

    (Daito Bunka University)

  • Kazuki Hiraga

    (Nagoya City University)

  • Kenji Miyazaki

    (Hosei University)

Abstract

This study uses a simple dynamic general equilibrium model to demonstrate that the tax deductions affect the three elasticities: that of the Laffer curve (the Laffer elasticity, hereafter), taxable income, and the tax revenue. This study first decomposes the Laffer elasticity, which consists of the elasticity of taxable income and the tax revenue elasticity. The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, to quantitatively evaluate the importance of tax deductions, this study calculates the analytical solutions of these elasticities with respect to labor and capital income under the steady state in the general equilibrium model with exogenous deduction and a social security tax. Second, using Japanese data, this study conducts a numerical simulation with plausible parameter values. Furthermore, this study finds that the simulation results are consistent with the empirical literature on public finance: an unstable peak of the Laffer curve, a wide range of estimates for the elasticity of taxable income, and tax revenue elasticity greater than 1. The policy implication of these results is that tax rates that maximize tax revenues are unstable, depending on parameters and deductions.

Suggested Citation

  • Hiroshi Gunji & Kazuki Hiraga & Kenji Miyazaki, 2024. "Tax Deduction Matters: Elasticities of the Laffer Curve, Taxable Income, and Tax Revenue," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 30(1), pages 1-19, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:iaecre:v:30:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s11294-024-09887-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11294-024-09887-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Laffer curve; Elasticity of taxable income; Tax revenue elasticity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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