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Optimal income taxation with tax avoidance and endogenous labour supply

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  • Georges Casamatta

Abstract

I determine the optimal income tax schedule when individuals both choose endogenously their labour supply and have the possibility of avoiding paying taxes. Considering a convex concealment cost function, I propose a formula for the optimal marginal tax rate, that generalizes the formula of the standard Mirrlees model to the case of tax avoidance. I also show that the results obtained by Casamatta (2021) in the fixed income case hold true when labour supply is endogenous: with a low enough marginal cost of avoidance, it is optimal to let some taxpayers, located in the interior of the skill distribution, avoid taxes. Je détermine le système d'imposition optimale sur le revenu lorsque les individus choisissent de manière endogène leur offre de travail et qu'ils ont de plus la possibilité d'éviter le paiement de l'impôt. Je considère une fonction de coût de dissimulation du revenu convexe et propose une formule pour le taux marginal de taxation optimal, qui généralise la formule du modèle de Mirrlees au cas de l'optimisation fiscale. Je montre également que les résultats obtenus par Casamatta (2021) dans le cas d'un revenu fixe restent vrais lorsque l'offre de travail est endogène: lorsque le coût marginal de l'optimisation fiscale est suffisamment faible, il est optimal de laisser certains contribuables, situés à l'intérieur de la distribution des productivités, dissimuler une partie de leur revenu.

Suggested Citation

  • Georges Casamatta, 2023. "Optimal income taxation with tax avoidance and endogenous labour supply," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(3), pages 913-939, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:56:y:2023:i:3:p:913-939
    DOI: 10.1111/caje.12675
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    References listed on IDEAS

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