Sufficient Statistics for Nonlinear Tax Systems with General Across-Income Heterogeneity

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Ferey, Antoine; Lockwood, Benjamin B.; Taubinsky, Dmitry
• 署名单位: National Bureau of Economic Research; University of California System; University of California Berkeley
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20221053
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 3206-3249
• 关键词: capital income; Commodity taxation; redistributive taxation; deadweight loss; elasticities; WEALTH; REFORM; POLICY

摘要

This paper provides empirically implementable sufficient statistics formulas for optimal nonlinear tax systems in the presence of across-income heterogeneity in preferences, , inheritances, , income-shifting capabilities, , and other sources. We characterize optimal smooth tax systems on income and savings ( or other commodities), as well as simpler tax systems. We use familiar elasticity concepts and a novel sufficient statistic for heterogeneity correlated with earnings ability: the difference between across-income variation in savings and the causal effect of income on savings. We apply these formulas to the United States and find that the optimal savings tax is mostly positive and progressive. (JEL E21, G51, H21, H24)