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Optimal progressivity of personal income tax: a general equilibrium evaluation for Spain

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  • Darío Serrano-Puente

    (Banco de España)

Abstract

Is the Spanish economy positioned at its optimal progressivity level in personal income tax? This article quantifies the aggregate, distributional, and welfare consequences of moving toward such an optimal level. A heterogeneous households general equilibrium model featuring both life cycle and dynastic elements is calibrated to replicate some characteristics of the Spanish economy and used to evaluate potential reforms of the tax system. The findings suggest that increasing progressivity would be optimal, even though it would involve an efficiency loss. The optimal reform of the tax schedule would reduce wealth and income inequality at the cost of negative effects on capital, labor, and output. Finally, these theoretical results are evaluated using tax microdata and describe a current scenario where the income-top households typically face suboptimal effective average tax rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Darío Serrano-Puente, 2020. "Optimal progressivity of personal income tax: a general equilibrium evaluation for Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 407-455, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:series:v:11:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s13209-020-00226-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s13209-020-00226-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Nezih Guner & Javier López-Segovia & Roberto Ramos, 2020. "Reforming the individual income tax in Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 369-406, December.
    2. Luisa Fuster, 2022. "Macroeconomic and distributive effects of increasing taxes in Spain," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 613-648, December.
    3. Insook lee, 2023. "Optimal Progressivity of Public Pension Benefit and Labor Income Tax," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 246(3), pages 3-35, September.
    4. Elena S. Vylkova, 2021. "Personal income tax: Reforms in Russia and their impact on the income inequality," Journal of New Economy, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 22(2), pages 5-22, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income tax; Progressivity; Inequality; Income and wealth distribution; General equilibrium; Heterogeneous agents;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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