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Time-consistent taxation in a dynastic family model with human and physical capital and a balanced government budget

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  • James B. Davies
  • Jinli Zeng
  • Jie Zhang

Abstract

This paper analyzes optimal, time consistent taxation in a dynastic family model with human and physical capital and with a balanced government budget. When tax revenue is used for publicly provided consumption or lump-sum transfers, leisure would be higher than its social optimum. Pareto optimal taxation requires taxing capital income more heavily than labour income and subsidizing investment at the same rate of the tax. Also, it requires either subsidizing labour at the same rate as a consumption tax or subsidizing consumption at the same rate as a labour income tax, and hence it is not a practical guide to policy. Further, a consumption tax, or equivalently a uniform income tax with investment subsidies at the same rate, can be improved on by taxing capital income more heavily than labour income.

Suggested Citation

  • James B. Davies & Jinli Zeng & Jie Zhang, 2009. "Time-consistent taxation in a dynastic family model with human and physical capital and a balanced government budget," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 42(3), pages 1023-1049, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:cje:issued:v:42:y:2009:i:3:p:1023-1049
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2009.01537.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Günther Rehme, 2023. "Investment subsidies and redistributive capital income taxation in a neoclassical growth model," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 988-1012, October.
    2. Reinhorn Leslie J., 2009. "Dynamic Optimal Taxation with Human Capital," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, October.
    3. Igor Kotlán & Zuzana Machová & Lenka Janíčková, 2011. "Vliv zdanění na dlouhodobý ekonomický růst [Taxation Influence on the Economic Growth]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2011(5), pages 638-658.
    4. Günther Rehme, 2023. "Capital depreciation allowances, redistributive taxation, and economic growth," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 25(1), pages 168-195, February.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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