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Pareto-improving tax reforms and the Earned Income Tax Credit

Author

Listed:
  • Felix Bierbrauer

    (Center for Macroeconomic Research, University of Cologne)

  • Pierre Boyer

    (CREST, ́Ecole Polytechnique)

  • Emanuel Hansen

    (Center for Macroeconomic Research, University of Cologne)

Abstract

This paper provides necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of Pareto-improving tax reforms. The conditions can be expressed as sufficient statistics and have a wide range of potential applications in public finance. We discuss one such application in detail: the introduction of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in the US. We find that the EITC can be viewed as a response to an inefficiency in the tax and transfer system prevailing at the time. This adds a newperspective to the literature on why the EITC is a good idea, emphasizing Pareto improvements rather than equity-efficiency trade-offs.

Suggested Citation

  • Felix Bierbrauer & Pierre Boyer & Emanuel Hansen, 2020. "Pareto-improving tax reforms and the Earned Income Tax Credit," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 001, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:ajk:ajkdps:001
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcus Berliant & Pierre C. Boyer, 2022. "Politics and Income Taxes: Progress and Progressivity," CESifo Working Paper Series 10041, CESifo.
    2. Koehne, Sebastian & Sachs, Dominik, 2022. "Pareto-improving reforms of tax deductions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    3. Ferey, Antoine, 2022. "Redistribution and Unemployment Insurance," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 345, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    4. Kevin Spiritus & Etienne Lehmann & Sander Renes, "undated". "Optimal Taxation with Multiple Incomes and Types," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-000/IVI, Tinbergen Institute.
    5. Felix Bierbrauer & Pierre Boyer & Andreas Peichl & Daniel Weishaar, 2023. "The Taxation of Couples," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 405, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    6. Hansen, Emanuel, 2021. "Optimal income taxation with labor supply responses at two margins: When is an Earned Income Tax Credit optimal?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    7. Raghda Abdellatif Abdelkhalik Elsayed, 2023. "The impact of ontology-based knowledge management on improving tax accounting procedures and reducing tax risks," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Emanuel Hansen, 2020. "Optimal Income Taxation with Labor Supply Responses at Two Margins: When Is an Earned Income Tax Credit Optimal?," CESifo Working Paper Series 8630, CESifo.
    9. Glogowsky, Ulrich, 2021. "Behavioral responses to inheritance and gift taxation: Evidence from Germany," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    10. Schulz, Karl & Tsyvinski, Aleh & Werquin, Nicolas, 2023. "Generalized compensation principle," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 18(4), November.
    11. Püschel, Veronika & Kindermann, Fabian, 2023. "Progressive Pensions as an Incentive for Labor Force Participation," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277643, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Felix Bierbrauer & Pierre Boyer & Emanuel Hansen, 2023. "Fantastic tax cuts and where to find them," ECONtribute Policy Brief Series 051, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax reforms; Non-linear income taxation; Optimal taxation; Earned Income Tax Credits; Pareto Efficiency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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