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Estimating the Social Marginal Cost of Public Funds: A Micro-data Approach

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  • Shun-ichiro Bessho

    (Faculty of Economics, Keio University)

  • Masayoshi Hayashi

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo)

Abstract

This study proposes a method to estimate the social marginal cost of public funds (SMCF) that utilizes household data. First, we recast the existing SMCF formula to highlight the role of individual marginal costs of public funds (IMCF) and their respective distributional weights. Second, we elaborate on aspects of the distributional weights. In particular, we derive the weights from a utility function with constant-elasticity substitution and a social welfare function with constant-inequality aversion, and compare them to the conventional distributional weights that are frequently used in distributional cost-benefit analysis. Third, using a Japanese micro-data set, we estimate the wage elasticity of labor supply and the corresponding IMCFs on a household basis. This then not only enables us to examine how the elasticities and the IMCFs are distributed but also allows us to explore how they are related to income level and to see how valid the assumptions made in the previous studies are. Lastly, as examples, we use the SMCF estimates to examine the social desirability of the progressive tax system in Japan as compared to an optimized flat tax.

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  • Shun-ichiro Bessho & Masayoshi Hayashi, 2011. "Estimating the Social Marginal Cost of Public Funds: A Micro-data Approach," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-817, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    • Handle: RePEc:tky:fseres:2011cf817
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    Cited by:

    1. Shun-ichiro Bessho & Masayoshi Hayashi, 2015. "Should the Japanese tax system be more progressive? An evaluation using the simulated SMCFs based on the discrete choice model of labor supply," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 22(1), pages 144-175, February.
    2. Nigar HASHIMZADE & Gareth MYLES, 2009. "Cost-benefit analysis and the marginal cost of public funds," Departmental Working Papers 2009-29, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    3. Miyazaki, Takeshi & Ishida, Ryo, 2022. "Estimating the elasticity of taxable income: Evidence from top Japanese taxpayers," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue

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