IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/inrvec/v71y2024i4d10.1007_s12232-024-00474-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Redistributive effects of tax-benefit policies in the EU. Simulation of reform proposals

Author

Listed:
  • Rafael Granell

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Valencia)

  • Amadeo Fuenmayor

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Valencia)

  • Teresa Savall

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Valencia)

Abstract

Inequality is one of the main current economic problems, affecting not just developing countries, but also major developed economies. Although inequality is generated by differences in market income, the public sector plays a key role in reducing it through the redistributive effect of the tax-benefit system. The first objective of this article is to understand and analyse the redistributive effect of tax-benefit systems in EU countries using the EUROMOD microsimulation model. The main result attained is the enormous redistributive impact of tax-benefit systems in all EU countries, reducing inequality by more than 20 percentage points. From the analysis of the different types of policies and countries it is possible to attain diverse patterns of behaviour by groups of countries and the best cases in terms of redistributive effect. Following this analysis of all EU countries, improvement measures are proposed for the specific case of one country, Spain. Three reforms that could improve the final income distribution of Spanish households are proposed: reforms in family policy, social exclusion and social security contributions. The three proposed reforms, based on policies used in other European countries, would have a significant cost, but would also achieve a much greater redistributive effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Granell & Amadeo Fuenmayor & Teresa Savall, 2024. "Redistributive effects of tax-benefit policies in the EU. Simulation of reform proposals," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 71(4), pages 933-957, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:inrvec:v:71:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s12232-024-00474-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s12232-024-00474-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12232-024-00474-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12232-024-00474-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Francisco G. Ferreira & Nora Lustig & Daniel Teles, 2015. "Appraising cross-national income inequality databases: An introduction," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 13(4), pages 497-526, December.
    2. 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.
    3. Brian Nolan & Matteo G. Richiardi & Luis Valenzuela, 2019. "The Drivers Of Income Inequality In Rich Countries," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 1285-1324, September.
    4. Mathias Dolls & Clemens Fuest & Dirk Neumann & Andreas Peichl, 2018. "An unemployment insurance scheme for the euro area? A comparison of different alternatives using microdata," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(1), pages 273-309, February.
    5. Herwig Immervoll & Henrik Jacobsen Kleven & Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Emmanuel Saez, 2007. "Welfare reform in European countries: a microsimulation analysis," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(516), pages 1-44, January.
    6. Elvire Guillaud & Matthew Olckers & Michaël Zemmour, 2020. "Four Levers of Redistribution: The Impact of Tax and Transfer Systems on Inequality Reduction," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 66(2), pages 444-466, June.
    7. Silvia Avram & Horacio Levy & Holly Sutherland, 2014. "Income redistribution in the European Union," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-29, December.
    8. Alexandri, Eva & Figari, Francesco & Longo, Enrico & Suta, Cornelia-Madalina, 2024. "A micro-macro approach for the evaluation of fiscal policies: The case of the Italian tax-benefit reform," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    9. Gerlinde Verbist & Francesco Figari, 2014. "The Redistributive Effect and Progressivity of Taxes Revisited: An International Comparison across the European Union," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 70(3), pages 405-429, September.
    10. Herwig Immervoll, 2004. "Average and Marginal Effective Tax Rates Facing Workers in the EU: A Micro-Level Analysis of Levels, Distributions and Driving Factors," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 19, OECD Publishing.
    11. Stephen Jenkins, 2015. "World income inequality databases: an assessment of WIID and SWIID," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 13(4), pages 629-671, December.
    12. Frederick Solt, 2020. "Measuring Income Inequality Across Countries and Over Time: The Standardized World Income Inequality Database," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(3), pages 1183-1199, May.
    13. Kakwani, Nanak C, 1977. "Applications of Lorenz Curves in Economic Analysis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 45(3), pages 719-727, April.
    14. Karina Doorley & Tim Callan & Michael Savage, 2021. "What drove income inequality in EU crisis countries during the Great Recession?," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 319-343, June.
    15. Holly Sutherland & Francesco Figari, 2013. "EUROMOD: the European Union tax-benefit microsimulation model," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 1(6), pages 4-26.
    16. Koen Caminada & Kees Goudswaard & Chen Wang & Jinxian Wang, 2019. "Income Inequality and Fiscal Redistribution in 31 Countries After the Crisis," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 61(1), pages 119-148, March.
    17. Julio López Laborda & Carmen Marín González & Jorge Onrubia, 2024. "Observatorio sobre el reparto de los impuestos y las prestaciones entre los hogares españoles. Octavo informe – 2021," Studies on the Spanish Economy eee2024-04, FEDEA.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. IVASKAITE-TAMOSIUNE Viginta & THIEMANN Andreas, 2021. "The budgetary and redistributive impact of pension taxation in the EU: A microsimulation analysis," JRC Working Papers on Taxation & Structural Reforms 2021-08, Joint Research Centre.
    2. Can Sever & Emekcan Yucel, 2021. "Electoral Cycles in Inequality Abstract:," Working Papers 2021/01, Bogazici University, Department of Economics.
    3. Klára Kalíšková, 2020. "Tax and transfer policies and the female labor supply in the EU," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 749-775, February.
    4. Hammer, Bernhard & Christl, Michael & De Poli, Silvia, 2023. "Public redistribution in Europe: Between generations or income groups?," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    5. Bação, Pedro & Duarte, Joshua & Simões, Marta, 2024. "Social expenditure composition, inequality and growth in the OECD: Labour market policies are most effective," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 75-89.
    6. Figari Francesco & Gandullia Luca & Lezzi Emanuela, 2018. "Marginal Cost of Public Funds: From the Theory to the Empirical Application for the Evaluation of the Efficiency of the Tax-Benefit Systems," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(4), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Elvire Guillaud & Matthew Olckers & Michaël Zemmour, 2020. "Four Levers of Redistribution: The Impact of Tax and Transfer Systems on Inequality Reduction," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 66(2), pages 444-466, June.
    8. Lupu, Noam, 2024. "Weak parties and the inequality trap in Latin America," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122759, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Ivica Urban & Martina Pezer, 2020. "Compensation for Households with Children in Croatia, Slovenia and Austria," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 203-235, January.
    10. Victor Amoureux & Elvire Guillaud & Michaël Zemmour, 2019. "It Takes Two to Tango Income and Payroll Taxes in Progressive Tax Systems," Working Papers hal-02735278, HAL.
    11. Cevik, Serhan & Jalles, João Tovar, 2023. "For whom the bell tolls: Climate change and income inequality," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    12. Stefan Bach & Peter Haan & Richard Ochmann, 2013. "Taxation of Married Couples in Germany and the UK: One-Earner Couples Make the Difference," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 6(3), pages 3-24.
    13. Lupu, Noam, 2024. "Weak Parties and the Inequality Trap in Latin America," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13481, Inter-American Development Bank.
    14. Kang, Sung Jin & Seo, Hwan-Joo, 2023. "Validity of the Meltzer and Richard hypothesis under captured democracy and policy regime hypotheses," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1732-1749.
    15. Coady, David & D’Angelo, Devin & Evans, Brooks, 2020. "Fiscal redistribution and social welfare: doing more or more to do?," EUROMOD Working Papers EM10/20, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    16. Vu, Trung V., 2021. "Statehood experience and income inequality: A historical perspective," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 415-429.
    17. Coda Moscarola, Flavia & Colombino, Ugo & Figari, Francesco & Locatelli, Marilena, 2020. "Shifting taxes away from labour enhances equity and fiscal efficiency," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 367-384.
    18. Muinelo-Gallo, Leonel, 2022. "Business cycles and redistribution: The role of government quality," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(4).
    19. H. Xavier Jara & Katrin Gasior & Mattia Makovec, 2020. "Work Incentives at the Extensive and Intensive Margin in Europe: The Role of Taxes, Benefits and Population Characteristics," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(2), pages 705-778, November.
    20. Amlan Majumder & Takayoshi Kusago, 2021. "A consistency check of the World Income Inequality Database in favour of common readers," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(7), pages 1-17, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:inrvec:v:71:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s12232-024-00474-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.