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The difficulty of income redistribution with labour supply

Author

Listed:
  • Udo Ebert
  • Patrick Moyes

    (GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Two common principles in distributional analysis are that (i) a progressive transfer moves the Lorenz curve upwards, and (ii) progressive [neutral] taxation reduces [leaves unchanged] inequality. In order to establish these results it is currently assumed that the distribution of income is exogenously given. The relevance of these results is therefore limited in practice where incomes are determined by the working decisions of the agents in the economy. Considering a simple economy with two goods and two agents we indicate sufficient conditions for inequality in net income to decrease as a result of rich to poor transfers or progressive taxation. By means of simple examples we show that, when one incorporates labour supply responses, the fulfillment of these conditions is highly hypothetical and that everything can happen.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Udo Ebert & Patrick Moyes, 2003. "The difficulty of income redistribution with labour supply," Post-Print hal-00156457, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00156457
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    Cited by:

    1. Oriol Carbonell-Nicolau & Humberto Llavador, 2021. "Elasticity determinants of inequality-reducing income taxation," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(1), pages 163-183, March.
    2. Carbonell-Nicolau, Oriol, 2025. "On progressive tax systems with heterogeneous preferences," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    3. Markina Oksana, 2022. "Taxation, Inequality, and Poverty: Evidence from Ukraine," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 9(56), pages 1-18, January.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics

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