IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ipt/taxref/202102.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The cushioning effect of fiscal policy in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Abstract

This paper analyses the extent to which the tax-benefit systems of the EU Member States have protected household incomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We makes use of EUROMOD, the EU tax-benefit microsimulation model based on 2018 EU-SILC data. Detailed aggregate labour market statistics combined with a novel approach to simulate transitions from work into monetary compensation schemes (short-time work schemes, as well as compensation schemes for self-employed) and into unemployment allows us to replicate the labour market conditions during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 in the underlying EU-SILC data. Our analysis highlights that most of the countries analysed experienced a significant drop in market incomes, with poorer households hit the hardest. However, our findings also suggest that the tax-benefit systems of the EU Member States have been able to absorb a significant share of the COVID-19 shock, offsetting – or alleviating – its regressive nature on market incomes. Monetary compensation schemes implemented by EU Member States played a key role in cushioning against the fall in household income during the crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Christl & Silvia De Poli & Francesco Figari & Tine Hufkens & Chrysa Leventi & Andrea Papini & Alberto Tumino, 2021. "The cushioning effect of fiscal policy in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic," JRC Working Papers on Taxation & Structural Reforms 2021-02, Joint Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipt:taxref:202102
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC125567
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dolls, Mathias & Fuest, Clemens & Peichl, Andreas, 2012. "Automatic stabilizers and economic crisis: US vs. Europe," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 279-294.
    2. Vanda Almeida & Salvador Barrios & Michael Christl & Silvia Poli & Alberto Tumino & Wouter Wielen, 2021. "The impact of COVID-19 on households´ income in the EU," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(3), pages 413-431, September.
    3. Mike Brewer & Iva Valentinova Tasseva, 2021. "Did the UK policy response to Covid-19 protect household incomes?," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(3), pages 433-458, September.
    4. Callan, Tim & Bercholz, Maxime & Doorley, Karina & Keane, Claire & Regan, Mark & Savage, Michael & Walsh, John, 2017. "Distributional Impact of Tax and Welfare Policies: Budget 2018," Quarterly Economic Commentary: Special Articles, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    5. Doorley, Karina & Keane, Claire & McTague, Alyvia & O’Malley, Seamus & Regan, Mark & Roantree, Barra & Tuda, Dora, 2020. "Distributional Impact of Tax and Welfare Policies: COVID-related policies and Budget 2021," Quarterly Economic Commentary: Special Articles, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    6. Olga Cantó Sánchez; & Francesco Figari; & Carlo Fiorio; & Sarah Kuypers; & Sarah Marchal; & Marina Romaguera dela Cruz; & Iva V. Tasseva; & Gerlinde Verbist;, 2021. "Welfare resilience at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in four European countries: Impact on public finance and household incomes," Working Papers 2107, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Glenn Abela, 2022. "Assessing the impacts of the COVID-19 wage supplement scheme: A microsimulation study," CBM Working Papers WP/06/2022, Central Bank of Malta.
    2. Javier Ballesteros Muñoz & Jorge Onrubia, 2022. "Régimen de tenencia de la vivienda habitual y desigualdad de la renta de los hogares españoles," Studies on the Spanish Economy eee2022-26, FEDEA.
    3. Michael Christl & Silvia Poli & Tine Hufkens & Andreas Peichl & Mattia Ricci, 2023. "The role of short-time work and discretionary policy measures in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in Germany," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(4), pages 1107-1136, August.
    4. Michael Christl & Silvia De Poli & Dénes Kucsera & Hanno Lorenz, 2022. "COVID-19 and (gender) inequality in income: the impact of discretionary policy measures in Austria," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 158(1), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Julio López Laborda & Carmen Marín González & Jorge Onrubia, 2022. "¿Cómo afectan los impuestos y las prestaciones públicas a los hogares en riesgo de pobreza?," Studies on the Spanish Economy eee2022-10, FEDEA.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michael Christl & Silvia De Poli & Dénes Kucsera & Hanno Lorenz, 2022. "COVID-19 and (gender) inequality in income: the impact of discretionary policy measures in Austria," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 158(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Denisa M. Sologon & Cathal O’Donoghue & Iryna Kyzyma & Jinjing Li & Jules Linden & Raymond Wagener, 2022. "The COVID-19 resilience of a continental welfare regime - nowcasting the distributional impact of the crisis," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 20(4), pages 777-809, December.
    3. David Rodríguez & Xavier Jara & Mariana Dondo & Cristina Arancibia & David Macas & Rebeca Riella & Joana Urraburu & Linda Llamas & Luis Huesca & Javier Torres & Rodrigo Chang, 2022. "The role of tax-benefit systems in protecting household incomes in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-125, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Michael Christl & Silvia Poli & Tine Hufkens & Andreas Peichl & Mattia Ricci, 2023. "The role of short-time work and discretionary policy measures in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis in Germany," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(4), pages 1107-1136, August.
    5. Kerstin Bruckmeier & Andreas Peichl & Martin Popp & Jürgen Wiemers & Timo Wollmershäuser, 2021. "Distributional effects of macroeconomic shocks in real-time," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(3), pages 459-487, September.
    6. Kerstin Bruckmeier & Andreas Peichl & Martin Popp & Jürgen Wiemers & Timo Wollmershäuser, 2020. "Distributional Effects of Macroeconomic Shocks in Real-Time: A Novel Method Applied to the Covid-19 Crisis in Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 8748, CESifo.
    7. Olga Cantó & Francesco Figari & Carlo V. Fiorio & Sarah Kuypers & Sarah Marchal & Marina Romaguera‐de‐la‐Cruz & Iva V. Tasseva & Gerlinde Verbist, 2022. "Welfare Resilience at the Onset of COVID‐19 Pandemic in a Selection of European Countries: Impact on Public Finance and Household Incomes," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(2), pages 293-322, June.
    8. Michael Christl & Silvia De Poli & Francesco Figari & Tine Hufkens & Chrysa Leventi & Andrea Papini & Alberto Tumino, 2022. "Monetary compensation schemes during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for household incomes, liquidity constraints and consumption across the EU," JRC Working Papers on Taxation & Structural Reforms 2022-03, Joint Research Centre.
    9. Giovanni Gallo & Silvia Granato & michele Raitano, 2022. "Heterogeneous effects of the Covid-19 crisis on Italian workers’ incomes: the role played by jobs routinization and teleworkability," Center for the Analysis of Public Policies (CAPP) 0180, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Economia "Marco Biagi".
    10. Andrew E. Clark & Conchita D'Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur, 2020. "The Fall in Income Inequality during COVID-19 in Five European Countries," Working Papers 565, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    11. Sarah Kuypers & Ive Marx & Brian Nolan & Juan C. Palomino, 2022. "Lockdown, Earnings Losses and Household Asset Buffers in Europe," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(2), pages 428-470, June.
    12. O'Donoghue, Cathal & Sologon, Denisa Maria, 2023. "The Transformation of Public Policy Analysis in Times of Crisis – A Microsimulation-Nowcasting Method Using Big Data," IZA Discussion Papers 15937, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Andrew E. Clark & Conchita D’Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur, 2021. "The fall in income inequality during COVID-19 in four European countries," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(3), pages 489-507, September.
    14. Verónica Amarante & Federico Scalese, 2022. "Tax-benefit responses in Uruguay during the COVID-19 pandemic," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-161, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Meltem A. Aran & Nazli Aktakke & Zehra Sena Kibar & Emre Üçkardeşler, 2022. "How to Assess the Child Poverty and Distributional Impact of COVID-19 Using Household Budget Surveys: An Application Using Turkish Data," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1997-2037, August.
    16. Andrew Clark & Conchita D'Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur & Giorgia Menta, 2022. "Pandemic Policy and Individual Income Changes across Europe," Working Papers 600, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    17. Glenn Abela, 2022. "Assessing the impacts of the COVID-19 wage supplement scheme: A microsimulation study," CBM Working Papers WP/06/2022, Central Bank of Malta.
    18. Cathal O’Donoghue & Denisa M. Sologon & Iryna Kyzyma, 2021. "Novel welfare state responses in times of crises: COVID-19 Crisis vs. the Great Recession," Working Papers 573, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    19. Valentinova Tasseva, Iva & Cantó-Sánchez, Olga & Figari, Francesco & Fiorio, Carlo & Kuypers, Sarah & Marchal, Sarah & Romaguera de la Cruz, Marina & Verbist, Gerlinde, 2021. "Welfare resilience at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in a selection of European countries: impact on public finance and household incomes," Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis Working Paper Series CEMPA5/21, Centre for Microsimulation and Policy Analysis at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    20. Jesse Lastunen & Pia Rattenhuber & Kwabena Adu-Ababio & Katrin Gasior & Xavier Jara & Maria Jouste & David McLennan & Enrico Nichelatti & Rodrigo Oliveira & Jukka Pirttilä & Matteo Richiardi & Gemma W, 2021. "The mitigating role of tax and benefit rescue packages for poverty and inequality in Africa amid the COVID-19 pandemic," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-148, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; EUROMOD; microsimulation; EU; automatic stabilisers; compensation schemes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ipt:taxref:202102. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Publication Officer (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ipjrces.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.