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Inheritance and Saving

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  • David Joulfaian

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of inheritances on the saving of recipients. Information on inheritances and heirs is obtained from estate tax records of decedents which are linked to the income tax records of beneficiaries. The observed pattern of wealth mobility within two years of the receipt of inheritances and multivariate analyses show that wealth increases by less than the full amount of the inheritance received. Similarly, and consistent with previous findings, large inheritances are found to depress labor force participation.

Suggested Citation

  • David Joulfaian, 2006. "Inheritance and Saving," NBER Working Papers 12569, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12569
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Korom, Philipp, 2016. "Inherited advantage: The importance of inheritance for private wealth accumulation in Europe," MPIfG Discussion Paper 16/11, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    2. Elinder Mikael & Erixson Oscar & Ohlsson Henry, 2012. "The Impact of Inheritances on Heirs' Labor and Capital Income," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-37, December.
    3. Erlend E. Bø & Elin Halvorsen & Thor O. Thoresen, 2019. "Heterogeneity of the Carnegie Effect," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(3), pages 726-759.
    4. Stefania Basiglio & Mariacristina Rossi & Arthur, 2019. "“Subjective inheritance expectations and economic outcomes”," CeRP Working Papers 190, Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies, Turin (Italy).
    5. KRENEK Alexander & SCHRATZENSTALLER Margit & GRUNBERGER Klaus & THIEMANN Andreas, 2022. "INTAXMOD - Inheritance and Gift Taxation in the Context of Ageing," JRC Working Papers on Taxation & Structural Reforms 2022-04, Joint Research Centre.
    6. Malo, Miguel Á. & Sciulli, Dario, 2023. "Expected wealth transfers and consumption across the wealth distribution in Europe," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Andreas Eder, 2016. "The impact of inheritances on the retirement behavior of older Europeans," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 43(2), pages 299-331, May.
    8. James R. Hines Jr., 2013. "The Redistributive Potential of Transfer Taxation," Public Finance Review, , vol. 41(6), pages 885-903, November.
    9. Jay Zagorsky, 2013. "Do People Save or Spend Their Inheritances? Understanding What Happens to Inherited Wealth," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 64-76, March.
    10. Straubhaar, Thomas, 2007. "Erbschaftssteuer: Abschaffen ist besser als revidieren," HWWI Policy Papers 1-7, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).
    11. Christopher W. Kulp & Michael Kurtz & Charles Hunt & Matthew Velardi, 2023. "The distribution of wealth: an agent-based approach to examine the effect of estate taxation, skill inheritance, and the Carnegie Effect," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 18(2), pages 397-415, April.
    12. Garbinti, Bertrand & Georges-Kot, Simon, 2019. "On the retirement effect of inheritance: heterogeneity and the role of risk aversion," Working Paper Series 2222, European Central Bank.
    13. Jaime Alonso-Carrera & Jordi Caballé & Xavier Raurich, 2016. "Intergenerational Mobility under Education-Effort Complementarity," Working Papers 905, Barcelona School of Economics.
    14. Margit Schratzenstaller, 2023. "Behavioral Responses to Inheritance Taxation. A Review of the Empirical Literature," WIFO Working Papers 668, WIFO.
    15. Peter Mooslechner & Martin Sch rz & Pirmin Fessler, 2008. "How Inheritances Relate to Wealth Distribution? Theoretical Reasoning and Empirical Evidence on the Basis of LWS Data," LWS Working papers 6, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    16. Basiglio, Stefania, 2018. "Essays on financial behaviour of households and firms," Other publications TiSEM c13423c5-8bf2-44a7-baa7-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    17. Marta Melguizo Garde, 2007. "La motivación de las transmisiones lucrativas entre generaciones de una familia: modelos teóricos y evidencia empírica," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 181(2), pages 81-118, June.
    18. Johann K. Brunner, 2010. "Die Erbschaftssteuer im Modell der optimalen Besteuerung," Economics working papers 2010-14, Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.
    19. Eleni Karagiannaki, 2017. "The Impact of Inheritance on the Distribution of Wealth: Evidence from Great Britain," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63(2), pages 394-408, June.
    20. Peters, Heiko & Schwarz, Peter, 2013. "Bequests and labor supply in Germany," TranState Working Papers 173, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    21. Urban Sila & Ricardo Sousa, 2014. "Windfall gains and labour supply: evidence from the European household panel," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-27, December.
    22. Bhalotra, Sonia & Brulé, Rachel & Roy, Sanchari, 2020. "Women's inheritance rights reform and the preference for sons in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    23. Jordi Caballé, 2016. "Intergenerational mobility: measurement and the role of borrowing constraints and inherited tastes," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 393-420, November.
    24. Eduard Suari-Andreu, 2023. "Labour supply, retirement, and consumption responses of older Europeans to inheritance receipt," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(1), pages 33-75, January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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