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A Comparison of Sales Taxes

Author

Listed:
  • Ira N. Gang

    (Rutgers University)

  • Arindam Das-Gupta

    (Rutgers University)

Abstract

We describe the simple analytics of the four main types of sales taxes under revenue neutrality: the retail sales tax, the value added tax, a cascading sales tax and a manufacturers' sales tax. The retail sales tax is shown to be equivalent to a value added tax. In order to produce equal revenues these two taxes must be at a higher rate than a cascading tax. However, output under a retail sales tax exceeds that under a cascading sales tax and deadweight losses are lower. The manufacturers' sales tax offers the worst of all worlds: with revenue neutrality the manufacturers' sales tax has a higher tax rate, lower output and greater deadweight loss than all the other taxes.

Suggested Citation

  • Ira N. Gang & Arindam Das-Gupta, 1998. "A Comparison of Sales Taxes," Departmental Working Papers 199519, Rutgers University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:rut:rutres:199519
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcelo Arbex & Enlinson Mattos, 2015. "Optimal sales tax rebates and tax enforcement consumers," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 67(2), pages 479-493.
    2. Arindam Das-Gupta, 2005. "With non-competitive firms, a turnover tax can dominate the VAT," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 8(9), pages 1-6.
    3. Watanabe, Satoshi, 2001. "Electronic Commerce and Indirect Taxation," Economic Review, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 52(1), pages 40-51, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    deadweight loss; efficiency; retail; sales tax; VAT;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies

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