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A Temporary VAT Cut as Unconventional Fiscal Policy

Author

Listed:
  • Ruediger Bachmann
  • Benjamin Born
  • Olga Goldfayn-Frank
  • Georgi Kocharkov
  • Ralph Luetticke
  • Michael Weber
  • Michael Weber

Abstract

We exploit the unexpected announcement of an immediate, temporary VAT cut in Germany in the second half of 2020 as a natural experiment to study the spending response to unconventional fiscal policy. We use survey and scanner data on households’ consumption expenditures and their perceived pass-through of the tax change into prices to quantify its effects. The temporary VAT cut led to a substantial relative increase in durable spending of 36% for individuals with a high perceived pass-through. Semi- and non-durable spending also increased. According to our preferred estimates, the VAT policy increased aggregate consumption spending by 34 billion Euros.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruediger Bachmann & Benjamin Born & Olga Goldfayn-Frank & Georgi Kocharkov & Ralph Luetticke & Michael Weber & Michael Weber, 2021. "A Temporary VAT Cut as Unconventional Fiscal Policy," CESifo Working Paper Series 9399, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9399
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Clemens Fuest & Florian Neumeier & Andreas Peichl, 2021. "Hat die Mehrwertsteuersenkung den Konsum belebt?," ifo Schnelldienst Digital, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 2(1), January.
    10. Felix Montag & Alina Sagimuldina & Monika Schnitzer, 2021. "Does Tax Policy Work When Consumers Have Imperfect Price Information? Theory and Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 9138, CESifo.
    11. Riccardo Bianchi Vimercati & Martin S. Eichenbaum & Joao Guerreiro, 2021. "Fiscal Stimulus with Imperfect Expectations: Spending vs. Tax Policy," NBER Working Papers 29134, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Victoria Baudisch & Matthias Neuenkirch, 2023. "Costly, but (Relatively) Ineffective? An Assessment of Germany’s Temporary VAT Rate Reduction During the Covid-19 Pandemic," Research Papers in Economics 2023-04, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    2. Christian Bayer & Alexander Kriwoluzky & Gernot J. Müller & Fabian Seyrich, 2023. "Hicks in HANK: Fiscal Responses to an Energy Shock," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2023_474, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    3. Michal Marencak, 2023. "State-dependent inflation expectations and consumption choices," Working and Discussion Papers WP 10/2023, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    4. Lemoine, Matthieu & Lindé, Jesper, 2023. "Fiscal stimulus in liquidity traps: Conventional or unconventional policies?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    5. Michael Weber & Francesco D'Acunto & Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Olivier Coibion, 2022. "The Subjective Inflation Expectations of Households and Firms: Measurement, Determinants, and Implications," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 36(3), pages 157-184, Summer.
    6. Francesco D'Acunto & Ulrike M. Malmendier & Michael Weber & Michael Weber, 2022. "What Do the Data Tell Us about Inflation Expectations?," CESifo Working Paper Series 9602, CESifo.
    7. Liu, Xiufen & Fang, Hongsheng & Zhao, Lexin & Xu, Wenli, 2023. "Do VAT cuts help stabilize employment? Evidence from China’s VAT rate reform," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 190-207.
    8. Thiemo Fetzer & Callum Shaw & Jacob Edenhofer, 2024. "Informational Boundaries of the State," CESifo Working Paper Series 10901, CESifo.
    9. Phil Dean & Maclean Gaulin & Nathan Seegert & Mu-Jeung Yang, 2023. "The COVID-19 state sales tax windfall," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(5), pages 1408-1434, October.
    10. Marius Clemens & Werner Röger, 2022. "Durable Consumption, Limited VAT Pass-Through and Stabilization Effects of Temporary VAT Changes," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2004, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    11. Goldfayn-Frank, Olga & Lewis, Vivien & Wehrhöfer, Nils, 2022. "Spending effects of child-related fiscal transfers," Discussion Papers 26/2022, Deutsche Bundesbank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    unconventional fiscal policy; value added tax; survey data; expectations; consumption; household data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • E20 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E65 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Studies of Particular Policy Episodes
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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