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Tax Rules

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  • Gersbach, Hans
  • Hahn, Volker
  • Imhof, Stephan

Abstract

We examine the provision of public projects under tax and subsidy rules. We find that tax rules separated from project cum subsidy decisions exhibit several advantages when incentive problems of the agenda-setter are taken into account. In particular, tax rules may prevent the proposal of inefficient projects that benefit only a small lobby group. We propose ?redistribution efficiency? as a socially desirable property of proposals and find that tax rules always guarantee this kind of efficiency. We show that rules on subsidies combined with discretion regarding taxes always yield socially inferior proposals. Finally, tax rules induce the agenda-setter to look for potential improvements of public projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Gersbach, Hans & Hahn, Volker & Imhof, Stephan, 2010. "Tax Rules," CEPR Discussion Papers 7831, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7831
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    • Hans Gersbach & Volker Hahn & Stephan Imhof, 2013. "Tax rules," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 41(1), pages 19-42, June.

    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gersbach, Hans & Haller, Hans, 2019. "Households, markets and public choice," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 16-28.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General

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