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Optimal tax and debt policy with endogenously imperfect creditworthiness

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  • Joshua Aizenman
  • Michael Gavin
  • Ricardo Hausmann

Abstract

This paper studies the patterns of optimal tax rates and borrowing in a developing country characterized by a costly tax collection. Its access to the international credit market is determined by the efficiency of the tax system, the relative bargaining power of creditors, and the outstanding debt. Country risk modifies considerably the pattern of taxes and borrowing in recessions. The tax rate exhibits strong counter-cyclical patterns in economies operating close to the credit ceiling, whereas the tax rate exhibits very few cyclical patterns in economies operating on the elastic portion of the supply of credit, where country risk factors are absent.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Aizenman & Michael Gavin & Ricardo Hausmann, 2001. "Optimal tax and debt policy with endogenously imperfect creditworthiness," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 367-395.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jitecd:v:9:y:2001:i:4:p:367-395
    DOI: 10.1080/096381900750056830
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    Cited by:

    1. Jose Ricardo da Costa e Silva & Ryan A. Compton, 2008. "Capital Flows and Destabilizing Policy in Latin America," Economia, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics], vol. 9(3), pages 491-517.
    2. Joshua Aizenman & Ilan Noy, 2009. "Endogenous Financial and Trade Openness," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(2), pages 175-189, May.
    3. Guido Zacka & Daniel Sotelsekb, 2018. "A generic fiscal rule: Proposal and design," Contaduría y Administración, Accounting and Management, vol. 63(2), pages 9-10, Junio.
    4. Pierre-Richard Agénor & Joshua Aizenman, 1998. "Contagion and Volatility with Imperfect Credit Markets," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 45(2), pages 207-235, June.
    5. Guido Zacka & Daniel Sotelsekb, 2018. "Propuesta y diseño de una regla fiscal genérica," Contaduría y Administración, Accounting and Management, vol. 63(2), pages 7-8, Junio.
    6. Garcia, D & Granda, C, 2019. "Informalidad, ciclos económicos y política fiscal: una exploración de los nexos," Documentos de trabajo - Alianza EFI 18984, Alianza EFI.
    7. Ceyhun Elgin & Colin C. Williams & Gamze Oz‐Yalaman & Abdullan Yalaman, 2022. "Fiscal stimulus packages to COVID‐19: The role of informality," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 861-879, May.
    8. Alejandro Guerson, 2006. "Fiscal Policy for Good: Reducing Macroeconomic Volatility in Uruguay," EcoMod2006 272100035, EcoMod.
    9. Zou, Fei & Huang, Lingyu & Ghaemi Asl, Mahdi & Delnavaz, Mohammad & Tiwari, Sunil, 2023. "Natural resources and green economic recovery in responsible investments: Role of ESG in context of Islamic sustainable investments," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    10. Demirel, Ufuk Devrim, 2010. "Macroeconomic stabilization in developing economies: Are optimal policies procyclical?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 409-428, April.
    11. Graciela L. Kaminsky & Carmen M. Reinhart & Carlos A. Végh, 2005. "When It Rains, It Pours: Procyclical Capital Flows and Macroeconomic Policies," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2004, Volume 19, pages 11-82, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Jan Zápal, 2007. "Cyclical Bias in Government Spending: Evidence from New EU Member Countries," Working Papers IES 2007/15, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised May 2007.
    13. Cécile Bastidon, 2002. "Financement extérieur des Pays en Développement : une revue de la littérature des modèles de dette et de crises financières," Post-Print hal-00730937, HAL.
    14. Jonathan Rodden & Erik Wibbels, 2010. "Fiscal Decentralization And The Business Cycle: An Empirical Study Of Seven Federations," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 37-67, March.
    15. Robert C. M. Beyer & Lazar Milivojevic, 2021. "Fiscal policy and economic activity in South Asia," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 340-358, February.
    16. Pierre-Richard Agénor, 1997. "Borrowing Risk and the Tequila Effect," IMF Working Papers 1997/086, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Gustavo Adler, 2008. "Original Sin and Procylical Fiscal Policy: Two Sides of the Same Coin?," IMF Working Papers 2008/209, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Castillo, Carlos, 2014. "Inflation targeting and exchange rate volatility smoothing: A two-target, two-instrument approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 330-345.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Borrowing Constraints; Credit Ceilings; Optimal Tax;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems

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