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Generalized Production Efficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Laurence Jacquet
  • Etienne Lehmann

    (CY Cergy Paris Université, THEMA)

Abstract

When should governments sacrifice production efficiency for redistribution? We generalize the celebrated result of Diamond and Mirrlees (1971a,b) by allowing for imperfect competition, suboptimal and nonlinear taxation. We demonstrate that production efficiency hinges on the flexibility of the tax system in compensating gains and losses from changes in factor prices. This requires the tax system to target each factor’s income. We show how to adjust tax systems or production policies for imperfect targeting and market failures, even when the tax system is not flexible enough. Endogenous factor prices do not modify the test to identify Pareto-improving tax reforms.

Suggested Citation

  • Laurence Jacquet & Etienne Lehmann, 2025. "Generalized Production Efficiency," Thema Working Papers 2025-08, THEMA (Théorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), CY Cergy-Paris University, ESSEC and CNRS.
    • Handle: RePEc:ema:worpap:2025-08
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Naito, Hisahiro, 1999. "Re-examination of uniform commodity taxes under a non-linear income tax system and its implication for production efficiency," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 165-188, February.
    2. Marie‐Noëlle Lefebvre & Etienne Lehmann & Michaël Sicsic, 2025. "Estimating the Laffer tax rate on capital income: cross‐base responses matter!," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 127(2), pages 460-489, April.
    3. Ilyana Kuziemko & Michael I. Norton & Emmanuel Saez & Stefanie Stantcheva, 2015. "How Elastic Are Preferences for Redistribution? Evidence from Randomized Survey Experiments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(4), pages 1478-1508, April.
    4. Chia-Lin Chang & Stéphane Robin, 2012. "Knowledge sourcing and firm performance in an industrializing economy: the case of Taiwan (1992–2003)," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 947-986, June.
    5. Jan De Loecker & Jan Eeckhout & Gabriel Unger, 2020. "The Rise of Market Power and the Macroeconomic Implications [“Econometric Tools for Analyzing Market Outcomes”]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(2), pages 561-644.
    6. Boadway, Robin, 2012. "From Optimal Tax Theory to Tax Policy: Retrospective and Prospective Views," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262017113, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lehmann, Etienne & Zanoutene, Eddy, 2026. "Distortions for Nothing - Optimal Taxation of (Un)Distributed Profits," CEPR Discussion Papers 21102, Centre for Economic Policy Research.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • L5 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations

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