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Optimal Capital Taxation Revisited

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  • V. V. Chari
  • Juan Pablo Nicolini
  • Pedro Teles

Abstract

We revisit the question of how capital should be taxed, arguing that if governments are allowed to use the kinds of tax instruments widely used in practice, for preferences that are standard in the macroeconomic literature, the optimal approach is to never distort capital accumulation. We show that the results in the literature that lead to the presumption that capital ought to be taxed for some time arise because of the initial confiscation of wealth and because the tax system is restricted.

Suggested Citation

  • V. V. Chari & Juan Pablo Nicolini & Pedro Teles, 2018. "Optimal Capital Taxation Revisited," Working Papers 752, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedmwp:752
    DOI: 10.21034/wp.752
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    Cited by:

    1. Ping-ho Chen & Angus C. Chu & Hsun Chu & Ching-chong Lai, 2019. "Optimal Capital Taxation in an Economy with Innovation-Driven Growth," Working Papers 201913, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    2. Kirill Borissov & Lucas Bretschger & Aleksey Minabutdinov, 2022. "The capital tax paradox in a greening economy," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 315-329, May.
    3. Marco Bassetto & Wei Cui, 2020. "A Ramsey Theory of Financial Distortions," Working Papers 775, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    4. Chari, V.V. & Nicolini, Juan Pablo & Teles, Pedro, 2020. "Optimal capital taxation revisited," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 147-165.
    5. Bonnet, Odran & Chapelle, Guillaume & Trannoy, Alain & Wasmer, Etienne, 2021. "Land is back, it should be taxed, it can be taxed," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    6. Boar, Corina & Midrigan, Virgiliu, 2022. "Efficient redistribution," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 78-91.
    7. Casas, Pablo & Torres, José L., 2022. "Government size and automation," MPRA Paper 115271, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Orhan Erem Atesagaoglu & Hakki Yazici, 2021. "Optimal Taxation of Capital in the Presence of Declining Labor Share," CESifo Working Paper Series 9101, CESifo.
    9. Orhan Erem Atesagaoglu & Hakki Yazici, 2021. "Optimal Taxation of Capital in the Presence of Declining Labor Share," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 21/739, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capital income tax; Long run; Uniform taxation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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