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Normative Fiscal Policy and Growth: Some Quantitative Implications for the Chilean Economy

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  • Espino, Emilio
  • González Rozada, Martín

Abstract

This paper explores the qualitative and quantitative implications of optimal taxation in a developing economy when economic growth is endogenously determined. We differentiate this class of economies from a developed economy in two aspects: informal sector is quantitatively significant and tax-collecting technologies are more rudimentary. We characterize competitive equilibrium allocations and Ramsey allocations in the context of a small open economy in which the interest rate is endogenously determined, some workers can be hired in the informal market, and imperfect tax-collecting technology can be heterogeneous across different types of taxes. We calibrate the parameters of our model to the Chilean economy. Overall, our results suggest that capital should still be taxed but considerably less than actual taxes (that is, 10.78 percent versus 18.5 percent). Labor should be subsidized (to stimulate accumulation of human capital), while consumption taxes should be increased by 50 percent approximately (from 19 percent to 28 percent). As expected, the better the tax collecting technologies, the higher the corresponding taxes. In this context, the resulting growth rate increases only slightly along the balanced growth path.

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  • Espino, Emilio & González Rozada, Martín, 2013. "Normative Fiscal Policy and Growth: Some Quantitative Implications for the Chilean Economy," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 4648, Inter-American Development Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:4648
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    Cited by:

    1. Emilio Espino & Martín González Rozada, 2015. "On the Implications of Taxation for Investment, Savings and Growth: Evidence from Brazil, Chile and Mexico," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 89116, Inter-American Development Bank.
    2. Catalina Granda-Carvajal & Danny García-Callejas, 2023. "Informality, tax policy and the business cycle: exploring the links," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(1), pages 114-166, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimal fiscal growth; economic growth; inefficient tax collecting technology;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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