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Excess Capital Flows and the Burden of Inflation in Open Economies

Author

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  • Mihir A. Desai
  • James R. Hines Jr.

Abstract

This paper estimates the efficiency consequences of interactions between nominal tax systems and inflation in open economies. Domestic inflation changes after-tax real interest rates at home and abroad, thereby stimulating international capital movement and influencing domestic and foreign tax receipts, saving, and investment. The efficiency costs of inflation-induced international capital reallocations are typically much larger than those that accompany inflation in closed economies, even if capital is imperfectly mobile internationally. Differences between inflation rates are responsible for international capital movements and accompanying deadweight losses, suggesting that international monetary coordination has the potential to reduce the inefficiencies associated with inflation-induced capital movements.

Suggested Citation

  • Mihir A. Desai & James R. Hines Jr., 1997. "Excess Capital Flows and the Burden of Inflation in Open Economies," NBER Working Papers 6064, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:6064
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    Cited by:

    1. Ciżkowicz, Piotr & Rzońca, Andrzej, 2010. "Inflation and corporate investment in selected OECD countries in the years 1960-2005 – an empirical analysis," MPRA Paper 29846, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Gordon, Roger H. & Hines, James Jr, 2002. "International taxation," Handbook of Public Economics, in: A. J. Auerbach & M. Feldstein (ed.), Handbook of Public Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 28, pages 1935-1995, Elsevier.
    3. Davtyan Azat, 2014. "GMM Estimation and Shapiro-Francia Normality Test: A Case Study of CEE Economies," International Journal of Economic Sciences, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2014(1), pages 12-26.
    4. Ciżkowicz, Piotr & Rzońca, Andrzej, 2013. "Does inflation harm corporate investment? Empirical evidence from OECD countries," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 7, pages 1-38.
    5. Pierre Fortin & George A. Akerlof & William T. Dickens & George L. Perry, 2002. "Inflation and Unemployment in the U.S. and Canada: A Common Framework," Cahiers de recherche du Département des sciences économiques, UQAM 20-16, Université du Québec à Montréal, Département des sciences économiques.
    6. Hwa-Taek Lee & Gawon Yoon, 2013. "Does purchasing power parity hold sometimes? Regime switching in real exchange rates," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(16), pages 2279-2294, June.
    7. Mandeya Shelton M.T & Ho Sin-Yu, 2022. "Inflation, Inflation Uncertainty and the Economic Growth Nexus: A Review of the Literature," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 22(1), pages 172-190, June.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods

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