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Parents' Desire to Make Equal Inter Vivos Transfers

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  • Elin Halvorsen
  • Thor O. Thoresen

Abstract

This study argues that parents have a desire for dividing equally between their children, and that this motive applies to transfers of gifts inter vivos. We suggest that the equal division motive competes with traditional altruism: support to the child or the children with greatest needs. When parents are drawn between these two ambitions, the degree of income compensation should be stronger in one-child families and we expect the altruism motive to dominate the equal division desire at low levels of recipients' income. We find support for both these hypotheses, when analyzing Norwegian data for inter vivos transfers behavior. The data include information about stated attitudes toward transfers among the parents, which also support the equal division motive. (JEL codes: D64, D91, H21) Copyright The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Munich. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.

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  • Elin Halvorsen & Thor O. Thoresen, 2011. "Parents' Desire to Make Equal Inter Vivos Transfers," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 57(1), pages 121-155, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:cesifo:v:57:y:2011:i:1:p:121-155
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    Cited by:

    1. Suhaili Alma’amun & Mohd Khairy Kamarudin & Mehmet Asutay, 2016. "Motivations of Inter Vivos Transfers Among Malaysian Muslims," EuroEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 3(12), pages 149-162, JUNE.
    2. Suhaili Alma’amun & Mohd Khairy Kamarudin & Mehmet Asutay, 2016. "Motivations of Inter Vivos Transfers Among Malaysian Muslims," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 12(3), pages 149-162, JUNE.
    3. Olivera, Javier, 2017. "The division of inter-vivos parental transfers in Europe," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 41-51.
    4. Tom Krebs & Moritz Kuhn & Mark L. J. Wright, 2015. "Human Capital Risk, Contract Enforcement, and the Macroeconomy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(11), pages 3223-3272, November.
    5. Javier OLIVERA ANGULO, 2011. "The division of parental transfers in Europe," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven ces11.20, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
    6. Oscar Erixson & Henry Ohlsson, 2019. "Estate division: equal sharing, exchange motives, and Cinderella effects," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 32(4), pages 1437-1480, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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