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Optimal taxation with heterogeneous firms and informal sector

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  • Cerda, Rodrigo A.
  • Saravia, Diego

Abstract

We study steady state optimal taxation in a context where firms differ in productivity and they decide whether to produce in a formal sector where the government raises taxes or an informal sector where it cannot do so. The government taxes capital income, firms’ profits and labor income. In this context, taxation might distort the firms’ decisions to participate in the formal sector (extensive margin) as well as their factor allocations once they decide to produce (intensive margin). We find that the government has incentives to subsidize costs to induce firms into the formal sector, making them taxable and completing the tax system. The optimal capital income tax is negative while the corporate tax rate is positive and the sign of labor income tax is ambiguous. We show numerically that following a Ramsey policy rather than actually observed taxes have significant effects on welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Cerda, Rodrigo A. & Saravia, Diego, 2013. "Optimal taxation with heterogeneous firms and informal sector," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 39-61.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jmacro:v:35:y:2013:i:c:p:39-61
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmacro.2012.08.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Ceyhun Elgin & Ferda Erturk, 2019. "Informal economies around the world: measures, determinants and consequences," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 9(2), pages 221-237, June.
    2. David Bardey & Daniel Mejia, 2019. "Informality and Optimal Public Policy," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Spring 20), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Ceyhun Elgin & Muhammed Burak Sezgin, 2017. "Sectoral Estimates of Informality: A New Method and Application for the Turkish Economy," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 55(4), pages 261-289, December.
    4. Catalina Granda-Carvajal & Danny García-Callejas, 2023. "Informality, tax policy and the business cycle: exploring the links," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(1), pages 114-166, February.
    5. Arbex Marcelo & Corrêa Márcio V. & Magalhães Marcos R. V., 2023. "Tolerance of Informality and Occupational Choices in a Large Informal Sector Economy," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 23(1), pages 241-278, January.
    6. Julia Friesen & Konstantin M. Wacker, 2019. "Who is Afraid of Informal Competition? The Role of Finance for Firms in Developing and Emerging Economies," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 31(4), pages 1126-1146, September.
    7. Caro, Paolo Di & Sacchi, Agnese, 2020. "The heterogeneous effects of labor informality on VAT revenues: Evidence on a developed country," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimal taxation; Heterogeneous firms; Capital taxation; Informal sector;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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