Marginal tax rates and income inequality in a life-cycle model

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Altig, D; Carlstrom, CT
• 署名单位: Federal Reserve System - USA; Federal Reserve Bank - Cleveland
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.89.5.1197
• 发表日期: 1999
• 页码: 1197-1215
• 关键词: UNITED-STATES; REFORM ACT

摘要

In this paper we study the quantitative impact of marginal tax rates on the distribution of income. Our methodology builds on computable general-equilibrium framework. We find that distortions from marginal tax rate changes of the sort implied by the Tax Reform Act of 1986 have sizable effects on income inequality in a reasonably quantified life-cycle setting: In our model rate changes alone capture half the increase in the pretax Gini that actually occurred between 1984 and 1989. (JEL C68, D31, H30, H20).