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The End of the Flat Tax Experiment in Slovakia

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  • Norbert Švarda
  • Matúš Senaj
  • Michal Horváth
  • Zuzana Siebertová

Abstract

The paper provides a quantitative assessment of the consequences of departing from a flat-tax system in the context of Slovakia. A behavioural microsimulation model of the labour supply is embedded into a general equilibrium framework with search and matching frictions. Some recently implemented changes in the tax system leave aggregate labour market indicators as well as inequality measures virtually unaffected. We also examine hypothetical revenue-neutral reforms that would significantly increase the progressivity of the system through graduated marginal tax rates. We find that there are narrow limits to what policy makers could accomplish through such reforms in terms of employment and equality of income. Hence, an income tax reform should at best be seen as a complementary tool to other initiatives promoting such objectives. Moreover, we highlight an important trade-off: income tax reforms that promote employment may harm growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Norbert Švarda & Matúš Senaj & Michal Horváth & Zuzana Siebertová, 2015. "The End of the Flat Tax Experiment in Slovakia," Discussion Papers 33, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
    • Handle: RePEc:cel:dpaper:33
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    Cited by:

    1. Matus Senaj & Zuzana Siebertova & Norbert Svarda & Jana Valachyova, 2018. "The Evaluation of Fiscal Consolidation Strategies," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 11(3), pages 39-58.
    2. Norbert Švarda & Jana Valachyová & Zuzana Siebertová, 2015. "SIMTASK: A Microsimulation of the Slovak Tax-Benefit System," Discussion Papers 31, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
    3. Salvador Barrios & Viginta Ivaškaitė-Tamošiūnė & Anamaria Maftei & Edlira Narazani & Janos Varga, 2020. "Progressive Tax Reforms in Flat Tax Countries," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(2), pages 83-107, March.
    4. Mitkova Veronika & Jánošová Miroslava, 2019. "The Tax Burden CGE Analysis for Slovakia and Slovenia," Naše gospodarstvo/Our economy, Sciendo, vol. 65(4), pages 35-46, December.
    5. Michal Horváth & Zuzana Siebertová, 2019. "Employment Effects of Income Tax Reforms: Lessons from Slovakia," Discussion Papers 54, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
    6. Zuzana Siebertova & Norbert Svarda & Jana Valachyova, 2015. "SIMTASK: A Microsimulation model of the Slovak Tax-Benefit System," Discussion Papers Discussion Paper No. 3/20, Council for Budget Responsibility.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    flat tax; microsimulation; general equilibrium; search and matching; labour supply elasticity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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