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Employment Structure and the Rise of the Modern Tax System

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  • Anders Jensen

Abstract

This paper builds a new microdatabase that covers 100 countries at all income levels and long-run time series in the United States (1870–2010) and Mexico (1960–2010) to document how the modern tax system arises over development. I establish a new set of stylized facts, which show that the income tax exemption threshold decreases in the income distribution as a country develops, tracking growth in the employee share of employment that occurs gradually further down the income distribution. Additional evidence supports the interpretation that the rise in third-party covered income through increases in employee share drives expansions of the income tax base over development.

Suggested Citation

  • Anders Jensen, 2022. "Employment Structure and the Rise of the Modern Tax System," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(1), pages 213-234, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:112:y:2022:i:1:p:213-34
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20191528
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Amaglobeli & Mr. Valerio Crispolti & Ms. Era Dabla-Norris & Pooja Karnane & Florian Misch, 2018. "Tax Policy Measures in Advanced and Emerging Economies: A Novel Database," IMF Working Papers 2018/110, International Monetary Fund.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • N40 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - General, International, or Comparative

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