Are consumption taxes really better than income taxes?

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Krusell, P; Quadrini, V; RiosRull, JV
• 署名单位: Federal Reserve System - USA; Federal Reserve Bank - Minneapolis; University of Rochester; Centre for Economic Policy Research - UK; University of Pennsylvania; Pompeu Fabra University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF MONETARY ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3932
• DOI: 10.1016/0304-3932(96)01262-7
• 发表日期: 1996
• 页码: 475-503
• 关键词: political equilibrium; consumption taxes; Income taxes

摘要

We use political-equilibrium theory and the neoclassical growth model to compare consumption and income tax systems, If government outlays are used for redistribution through transfers, then steady-state equilibria in societies that use income taxes are not necessarily worse in welfare terms, and may even be better. Income taxes are attractive precisely because they are more distortionary, since this implies low equilibrium transfer levels, We also find that switching lax systems typically does not benefit the median voter; moreover, a change from income to consumption taxes may make everybody worse off.