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Optimal Taxation When Children’s Abilities Depend on Parents’ Resources

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  • Alexander Gelber
  • Matthew Weinzierl

Abstract

Empirical research suggests that parents, and therefore the tax policy that affects them, can have a significant effect on their children’s future earnings abilities. We take a first step toward characterizing how this intergenerational link matters for tax policy design. We find that the utilitarian welfare-maximizing policy in this context would be more redistributive toward low-income parents than under current U.S. tax policy. The additional income under such a policy would increase the probability that low-income children move up the economic ladder, and we estimate that it would generate an aggregate welfare gain equivalent to 1.75 percent of lifetime consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Gelber & Matthew Weinzierl, 2016. "Optimal Taxation When Children’s Abilities Depend on Parents’ Resources," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 69(1), pages 11-40, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:69:y:2016:i:1:p:11-40
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2016.1.01
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    Cited by:

    1. Musab Kurnaz & Mehmet Soytas, 2019. "Early Childhood Investment and Income Taxation," 2019 Meeting Papers 290, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    2. Koeniger, Winfried & Zanella, Carlo, 2022. "Opportunity and inequality across generations," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    3. Winfried Koeniger & Julien Prat, 2018. "Human Capital and Optimal Redistribution," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 27, pages 1-26, January.
    4. Kurnaz, Musab & Soytas, Mehmet A., 2019. "Intergenerational Income Mobility and Income Taxation," GLO Discussion Paper Series 409, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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