WHO PAYS CIGARETTE TAXES? THE IMPACT OF CONSUMER PRICE SEARCH

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: DeCicca, Philip; Kenkel, Donald; Liu, Feng
• 署名单位: McMaster University; National Bureau of Economic Research; Cornell University; Shanghai University of Finance & Economics
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/REST_a_00303
• 发表日期: 2013-05
• 页码: 516-529
• 关键词: taxation; COMPETITION; oligopoly; smoking; state; POOR

摘要

We conduct an empirical study of the impact of consumer price search on the shifting of cigarette excise taxes to consumer prices. We use novel data on the prices that smokers report paying and document substantial price dispersion. We find that cigarette taxes are shifted at lower rates to carton buyers and, especially, smokers who buy cartons of cigarettes in a state other than their state of residence. We also find evidence that taxes are shifted at somewhat lower rates to the prices paid by heavier smokers and at somewhat higher rates to the prices paid by smokers of light cigarettes.