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Taxes and Migration Flows: Preferential Tax Schemes for High-Skill Immigrants

Author

Listed:
  • Pedro Teles
  • João Brogueira de Sousa

Abstract

We study preferential tax schemes for high-skill immigrants such as those adopted in Europe in the past two decades. The overall assessment is negative. While they induce a very large immigration surplus tilted towards the low-skill, they may also give rise to an emigration deficit that more than offsets the surplus. The unilateral adoption is ambiguous in its welfare effects for both high- and low-skill workers, but the multilateral adoption is unambiguous in redistributing from low-skill to high-skill workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedro Teles & João Brogueira de Sousa, 2023. "Taxes and Migration Flows: Preferential Tax Schemes for High-Skill Immigrants," Working Papers w202321, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:ptu:wpaper:w202321
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jacopo Bassetto & Giuseppe Ippedico, 2023. "Can Tax Incentives Bring Brains Back? Returnees Tax Schemes and High-Skilled Migration in Italy," CESifo Working Paper Series 10271, CESifo.
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    4. Henrik Jacobsen Kleven & Camille Landais & Esben Schultz, 2014. "Migration and Wage Effects of Taxing Top Earners: Evidence from the Foreigners' Tax Scheme in Denmark," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(1), pages 333-378.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

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