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Consumption Taxes and Redistribution

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  • Correia, Isabel

Abstract

It is relatively well known that the introduction of consumption taxation as an alternative in the tax code, and as the main source of government revenues, leads to a more efficient tax system. However the conventional wisdom is that the change from the actual tax code, based on taxation of capital and labour income to this consumption-based system, has undesirable distributional consequences. In this work a very simple method is developed to argue that the converse is the most reasonable outcome from that fundamental tax reform. The main difference in relation to the literature comes from the assumed source of household heterogeneity. Additionally it is shown that the inclusion of a tax on consumption allows for redistributive policies with no costs in terms of efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Correia, Isabel, 2005. "Consumption Taxes and Redistribution," CEPR Discussion Papers 5280, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:5280
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Isabel Correia & Juan Pablo Nicolini & Pedro Teles, 2008. "Optimal Fiscal and Monetary Policy: Equivalence Results," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(1), pages 141-170, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anagnostopoulos, Alexis & Li, Qian, 2013. "Consumption taxes and precautionary savings," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(3), pages 238-242.
    2. Jonathan Heathcote & Kjetil Storesletten & Giovanni L. Violante, 2017. "Optimal Tax Progressivity: An Analytical Framework," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 132(4), pages 1693-1754.
    3. Sarolta Laczo & Raffaele Rossi, 2014. "Time-consistent consumption taxation," Working Papers 67495267, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    4. George Economides & Anastasios Rizos, 2017. "Optimal taxation and the tradeoff between efficiency and redistribution," DEOS Working Papers 1701, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    5. Albert Marcet & Katharina Greulich, 2008. "Pareto-Improving Optimal Capital and Labor Taxes," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 733.08, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    6. Javier Andrés & José E. Boscá & Javier Ferri, 2016. "Instruments, rules, and household debt: the effects of fiscal policy," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 68(2), pages 419-443.
    7. repec:eee:moneco:v:91:y:2017:i:c:p:39-51 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Anh D.M.Nguyen & Luisanna Onnis & Raffaele Rossi, 2016. "The Macroeconomic Effects of Income and Consumption Tax Changes," Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Discussion Paper Series 227, Economics, The Univeristy of Manchester.
    9. Antón, Arturo & Boyd, Roy & Elizondo, Alejandra & Ibarrarán, María Eugenia, 2016. "Universal social insurance for Mexico: Modeling of a financing scheme," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 52(PB), pages 838-850.
    10. Isabel Horta Correia, 2010. "Taxation and Globalization," Working Papers w201020, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    11. G. C. Lim & Paul D. McNelis, 2014. "Income Inequality, Trade and Financial Openness," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2014n07, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    12. George Economides & Apostolis Philippopoulos, 2012. "Are User Fees Really Regressive?," CESifo Working Paper Series 3875, CESifo Group Munich.
    13. Lim, G.C. & McNelis, Paul D., 2016. "Income growth and inequality: The threshold effects of trade and financial openness," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 403-412.
    14. Roberta, Cardani & Lorenzo, Menna & Patrizio, Tirelli, 2016. "Optimal Public Debt Consolidation with Distributional Conflicts," Working Papers 350, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised 05 Oct 2016.
    15. Luigi, Bernardi, 2011. "Economic crisis and taxation in Europe," MPRA Paper 31007, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Isabel Horta Correia, 2007. "The Effects on Equity of an Increase in the Value-Added Tax," Economic Bulletin and Financial Stability Report Articles, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    17. Lopez-Daneri, Martin, 2016. "NIT picking: The macroeconomic effects of a Negative Income Tax," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 1-16.
    18. Anmol Bhandari & David Evans & Mikhail Golosov & Thomas J. Sargent, 2013. "Taxes, Debts, and Redistributions with Aggregate Shocks," NBER Working Papers 19470, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Masaya Yasuoka & Minoru Hayashida, 2015. "How should a government finance redistribution policies?," Discussion Paper Series 136, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised Oct 2015.
    20. Roberta, Cardani & Lorenzo, Menna & Patrizio, Tirelli, 2016. "The Optimal Policy Mix to Achieve Public Debt Consolidation," Working Papers 356, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised 31 Dec 2016.
    21. Fernando Alexandre & Luís Aguiar Conraria & Pedro Bação & Miguel Portela, 2011. "A Poupança em Portugal," GEMF Working Papers 2011-19, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    consumption taxes; equity; fundamental tax reform; heterogeneous agents;

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General

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