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Unit Sales and Price Effects of Preannounced Consumption Tax Reforms: Micro-level Evidence from European VAT

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  • Thiess Buettner
  • Boryana Madzharova

Abstract

We study the effects of consumption tax changes on prices and unit sales of durables utilizing micro-level product data. The results show that tax rate changes are fully shifted into prices. An anticipated tax rate change causes a temporary shift in unit sales shortly before implementation, which is more than offset by adjustments upon and after implementation. If the tax rate increases by 1 percentage point, unit sales rise by 2.5 percent on average in the last month before implementation. The permanent effect is a drop in sales by 2 percent below their original level, implying relatively strong intertemporal substitution effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Thiess Buettner & Boryana Madzharova, 2021. "Unit Sales and Price Effects of Preannounced Consumption Tax Reforms: Micro-level Evidence from European VAT," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 103-134, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:103-34
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20170708
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Lydia Dimitrakopoulou & Christos Genakos & Themistoklis Kampouris & Stella Papadokonstantaki, 2023. "VAT pass-through and competition: evidence from the Greek Islands," CEP Discussion Papers dp1923, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Lydia Dimitrakopoulou & Christos Genakos & Themistoklis Kampouris & Stella Papadokonstantaki, 2023. "VAT pass-through and competition: Evidence from the Greek Islands," POID Working Papers 078, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. Francesca Parodi, 2024. "Consumption Tax Cuts In A Recession," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 65(1), pages 117-148, February.
    4. Dimitrakopoulou, Lydia & Genakos, Christos & Kampouris, Themistoklis & Papadokonstantaki, Stella, 2023. "VAT pass-through and competition: evidence from the Greek Islands," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121321, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Koeniger, Winfried & Kress, Peter, 2024. "The effect of unconventional fiscal policy on consumption: New evidence based on transactional data," CFS Working Paper Series 724, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    6. Matthias Firgo, 2024. "Price effects and pass-through of a VAT increase on restaurants in Germany: causal evidence for the first months and a mega sports event," Papers 2409.01180, arXiv.org.
    7. Fedoseeva, Svetlana & Van Droogenbroeck, Ellen, 2024. "Temporary VAT rate cuts and food prices in e-commerce," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    8. Georg Schneider & Frank Stähler & Georg U. Thunecke, 2022. "The (Non-)Neutrality of Value-Added Taxation," CESifo Working Paper Series 9663, CESifo.
    9. Lydia Dimitrakopoulou & Christos Genakos & Themistoklis Kampouris & Stella Papadokonstantaki, 2023. "VAT Pass-Through and Competition: Evidence from the Greek Islands," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2039, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    10. Kahl, Mats Petter, 2024. "Was the German fuel discount passed on to consumers?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    11. Montag, Felix & Mamrak, Robin & Sagimuldina, Alina & Schnitzer, Monika, 2023. "Imperfect price information, market power, and tax pass-through," Working Papers 337, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    12. Anne Kesselring, 2023. "Willingness-to-Pay for Energy Efficiency: Evidence from the European Common Market," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 86(4), pages 893-945, December.
    13. Thiess Büttner & Frank Hechtner & Boryana Madzharova, 2023. "Taxes and Gender Equality: The Incidence of the ‘Tampon Tax’," CESifo Working Paper Series 10580, CESifo.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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