IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v30y2018i2p256-273.html

Taxation and Inequality in Developing Countries: Lessons from the Recent Experience of Latin America

Author

Listed:
  • Bruno Martorano

Abstract

This paper aims to advance understanding about the relationship between taxation and inequality in developing countries, focusing on the recent experience of Latin America. Tax changes promoted equality since the early 2000s. In particular, the increasing contribution of direct taxes with respect to indirect taxes promoted the progressivity of the tax system and contributed to the reduction of inequality. Yet the effectiveness of taxation in promoting equality in Latin America is still limited by several factors such as the low average tax revenue, the inability to tax top incomes and the low contribution of taxes on property. © 2018 UNU†WIDER. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Martorano, 2018. "Taxation and Inequality in Developing Countries: Lessons from the Recent Experience of Latin America," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 256-273, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:30:y:2018:i:2:p:256-273
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3350
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3350
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/jid.3350?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
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stephan Dietrich & Valerio Giuffrida & Bruno Martorano & Georg Schmerzeck, 2022. "COVID‐19 policy responses, mobility, and food prices," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(2), pages 569-588, March.
    2. Parro, Francisco, 2024. "Unveiling the impact of income taxes on inequality in a HACT model," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Beatrice D. Simo-Kengne, 2023. "Ageing and tax composition in South Africa: a spatial analysis," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 905-917, February.
    4. Achillefs Karakotsios & Constantinos Katrakilidis & Dimitrios Dimitriadis & Theodoros Christoforidis, 2020. "Examining the relationship between income inequality, taxation and economic freedom: a panel cointegration approach," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 9(3), pages 206-215.
    5. Raul Caruso & Antonella Biscione, 2020. "Static and Dynamic Analysis of Poverty in Albania (2007-2016)," Working Papers 1007, European Centre of Peace Science, Integration and Cooperation (CESPIC), Catholic University 'Our Lady of Good Counsel'.
    6. Dorina Lazar & Cristian Marius Litan, 2024. "Inequality, Growth, and Structural Transformation: New Evidence from a Post-communist Economy," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 66(2), pages 236-260, June.
    7. Alex Adegboye & Olayinka Erin & Simplice Asongu, 2022. "Taxing Africa for inclusive human development: the mediating role of governance quality," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 41(1), pages 182-205, June.
    8. Rishabh Choudhary & Franz Ulrich Ruch & Emilia Skrok, 2024. "Taxing for Growth : Revisiting the 15 Percent Threshold," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10943, The World Bank.
    9. Antonella Biscione & Dorothée Boccanfuso & Raul Caruso, 2020. "A Hypothesis on Poverty Change in Albania (2007-2016)," Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali, Vita e Pensiero, Pubblicazioni dell'Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, vol. 128(3), pages 301-320.
    10. Dietrich, Stephan & Giuffrida, Valerio & Martorano, Bruno & Schmerzeck, Georg, 2021. "COVID-19 policy responses, mobility, and food prices: Evidence from local markets in 47 low to middle income countries," MERIT Working Papers 2021-008, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    11. Idrissa Ouedraogo & Issa Dianda & Pegdwende Patrik Roland Ouedraogo & Tiraogo Rodrigue Ouedraogo & Bassirou Konfe, 2025. "The Effects of Taxation on Income Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 67(1), pages 84-149, March.
    12. Martin Ambassa Messy & Itchoko Motande Mondjeli Mwa Ndjokou, 2021. "Taxation and Income Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(3), pages 1153-1164.
    13. Jose Cuesta & Mario Negre & Ana Revenga & Maika Schmidt, 2018. "Tackling Income Inequality: What Works and Why?," Journal of Income Distribution, Ad libros publications inc., vol. 26(1), pages 1-48, March.
    14. repec:aep:anales:4449 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Andrey A. Pugachev, 2023. "Impact of the Level and Structure of the Tax Burden on Citizens Inequality," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 3, pages 59-77, June.
    16. Šárka Sobotovičová & Jana Janoušková, 2020. "Specifics of Real Estate Taxation in the Czech and Slovak Republics," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 26(3), pages 273-287, August.
    17. Andrey A. Pugachev, 2023. "Assessment of the Impact of Social Tax Deductions for Personal Income Tax on the Welfare and Inequality of Citizens in Russia," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 22(4), pages 789-813.
    18. Amalia, Nadira & Moeis, Jossy P. & Arundina, Tika & Pertiwi, Ristiyanti Hayu & Mardhatillah, Amy, 2021. "Impact analysis of religiosity and altruism on multidimensional inequality;," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 517-525.
    19. Schächtele, Simeon & Eguino, Huáscar & Roman, Soraya, 2022. "Improving taxpayer registration through nudging? Field experimental evidence from Brazil," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:jintdv:v:30:y:2018:i:2:p:256-273. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5102/home .

    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.