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Can removing the tax cap save Social Security?

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  • Bagchi Shantanu

    (Department of Economics, Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252, USA, Phone: +1-410-704-2191)

Abstract

The maximum amount of earnings in a calendar year that can be taxed by Social Security is currently set at $118,500. In this paper, I examine if removing this cap can solve Social Security’s future budgetary problems. I find that when this cap is removed, benefits need to decline by less than 4% to keep Social Security solvent, compared to by almost 12% when the cap is held fixed at its current level. Households for whom the cap expires respond by working and saving less, which reduces labor supply, capital stock, and output, and also reverses some of the initial expansion in Social Security’s revenues. Elimination of the cap alters the pattern of redistribution implicit in Social Security, and also imposes larger distortions on labor supply and saving, which reduces overall welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Bagchi Shantanu, 2017. "Can removing the tax cap save Social Security?," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 1-28, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejmac:v:17:y:2017:i:2:p:28:n:13
    DOI: 10.1515/bejm-2016-0091
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Can Removing the Tax Cap Save Social Security?
      by Christian Zimmermann in NEP-DGE blog on 2014-09-29 02:23:00

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    4. Erin Cottle Hunt & Frank N. Caliendo, 2023. "Social security and risk sharing: the role of economic mobility across generations," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(5), pages 1374-1407, October.
    5. Eytan Sheshinski & Frank N. Caliendo, 2021. "Social Security and the increasing longevity gap," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 23(1), pages 29-52, February.
    6. Erin Cottle Hunt & Frank N. Caliendo, 2020. "Social Security reform: three Rawlsian options," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 27(6), pages 1582-1607, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social Security; tax cap; mortality risk; labor income risk; incomplete markets; general equilibrium;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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