IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eei/journl/v60y2017i2p1-13.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Progressive taxation and (in)stability in an exogenous growth model with an informal sector

Author

Listed:
  • Aleksandar Vasilev

Abstract

We show that in an exogenous growth model with informal economy calibrated to Bulgarian data under the progressive taxation regime (1993-2007), the economy exhibits equilibrium indeterminacy due to the presence of an unofficial production. These results are in line with the findings in Benhabib and Farmer (1994, 1996) and Farmer (1999). Also, the findings in this paper are in contrast to Guo and Lansing (1988) who argue that progressive taxation works as an automatic stabilizer. Un- der the flat tax regime (2008-14), the economy calibrated to Bulgarian data displays saddle-path stability. The decrease in the average effective tax rate addresses the indeterminacy issue and eliminates the ”sink” dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Aleksandar Vasilev, 2017. "Progressive taxation and (in)stability in an exogenous growth model with an informal sector," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 60(2), pages 1-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eei:journl:v:60:y:2017:i:2:p:1-13
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ideas.repec.org/a/eei/journl/v60y2017i2p1-13.html
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2015. "Welfare gains from the adoption of proportional taxation in a general-equilibrium model with a grey economy: the case of Bulgaria’s 2008 flat tax reform," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 169-185, May.
    2. Hansen, Gary D., 1985. "Indivisible labor and the business cycle," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 309-327, November.
    3. Juan Carlos Conesa Roca & Carlos Díaz Moreno & José Enrique Galdón Sánchez, 2001. "Underground economy and aggregate fluctuations," Spanish Economic Review, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 41-53.
    4. Benhabib Jess & Farmer Roger E. A., 1994. "Indeterminacy and Increasing Returns," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 19-41, June.
    5. Benhabib, Jess & Farmer, Roger E. A., 1996. "Indeterminacy and sector-specific externalities," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 421-443, June.
    6. King, Robert G & Rebelo, Sergio, 1990. "Public Policy and Economic Growth: Developing Neoclassical Implications," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 126-150, October.
    7. Vasilev, Aleksandar, 2015. "The welfare effect of flat income tax reform: the case of Bulgaria," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 53(3), pages 205-220.
    8. Rogerson, Richard, 1988. "Indivisible labor, lotteries and equilibrium," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 3-16, January.
    9. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2016. "Progressive taxation and (in)stability in an endogenous growth model with human capital accumulation," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 59(2), pages 1-15.
    10. Roger E. A. Farmer, 1999. "Macroeconomics of Self-fulfilling Prophecies, 2nd Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262062038, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2021. "Progressive taxation and (in)stability in an exogenous growth model with non-market ("home") production," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 64(1), pages 23-37.
    2. Vasilev, Aleksandar, 2022. "A Progressive Consumption Tax: An Important Instrument for Stabilizing Business Cycles, or Just an Exotic Idea?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 63(10-12), pages 576-588.
    3. Vasilev, Aleksandar, 2020. "Does the form of the Aggregate Production Function Matter for Modelling Business Cycle Fluctuations? Lessons for Bulgaria (1999-2018)," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 18, pages 81-86.
    4. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2022. "Is Military Spending Quantitatively Important for Business Cycle Fluctuations?," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 65(1), pages 28-51.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2020. "Indeterminacy and Multiplicity of Equilibria in a Two-sector Economy with a Public-sector Production," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 63(1), pages 18-43.
    2. Vasilev, Aleksandar, 2015. "Welfare gains from the adoption of proportional taxation in a general-equilibrium model with a grey economy: the case of Bulgaria's 2008 flat tax reform," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 48(2), pages 169-185.
    3. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2021. "Progressive taxation and (in)stability in an exogenous growth model with non-market ("home") production," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 64(1), pages 23-37.
    4. Herrendorf, Berthold & Valentinyi, Akos, 2006. "On the stability of the two-sector neoclassical growth model with externalities," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 1339-1361, August.
    5. Juin‐Jen Chang & Jang‐Ting Guo & Jhy‐Yuan Shieh & Wei‐Neng Wang, 2015. "Sectoral Composition Of Government Spending And Macroeconomic (In)Stability," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 53(1), pages 23-33, January.
    6. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2021. "Progressive taxation and (in)stability in an exogenous growth model with Epstein-Zin recursive preferences," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 64(1), pages 51-68.
    7. Jang-Ting Guo & Sharon G. Harrison, 2015. "Indeterminacy with Progressive Taxation and Sector-Specific Externalities," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 268-281, May.
    8. Stephanie Schmitt-Grohe, 2000. "Endogenous Business Cycles and the Dynamics of Output, Hours, and Consumption," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1136-1159, December.
    9. Vasilev, Aleksandar, 2020. "Indeterminacy with preferences featuring multiplicative habits in consumption: lessons from Bulgaria (1999-2016)," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue forthcomi.
    10. Frédéric Dufourt & Kazuo Nishimura & Alain Venditti, 2016. "Sunspot fluctuations in two-sector models: New results with additively separable preferences," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 12(1), pages 67-83, March.
    11. Berthold Herrendorf & Akos Valentinyi, 2003. "Determinacy Through Intertemporal Adjustment Costs," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 6(3), pages 483-497, July.
    12. Perli, Roberto, 1998. "Indeterminacy, home production, and the business cycle: A calibrated analysis," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 105-125, February.
    13. Frédéric Dufourt & Kazuo Nishimura & Alain Venditti, 2013. "Indeterminacy and Sunspot Fluctuations in Two-Sector RBC models: Theory and Calibration," Working Papers halshs-00796703, HAL.
    14. Chen, Shu-Hua & Guo, Jang-Ting, 2013. "Progressive taxation and macroeconomic (In) stability with productive government spending," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 951-963.
    15. Aleksandar Vasilev, 2020. "Are labor unions important for business cycle fluctuations? Lessons from Bulgaria," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(1), pages 143-161, March.
    16. Fujio Takata, 2018. "The Conditions for Indeterminacy in Two Types of Balanced Budget Rules - Reconsidered," Discussion Papers 1806, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    17. Busato, Francesco & Chiarini, Bruno & Marchetti, Enrico, 2011. "Indeterminacy, underground activities and tax evasion," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 831-844, May.
    18. Guo, Jang-Ting, 1998. "Indeterminacy and sunspots in a monetary economy with limited participation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(3), pages 337-345, June.
    19. Juin‐Jen Chang & Jang‐Ting Guo & Wei‐Neng Wang, 2021. "On Endogenous Business Cycles Under Increasing Returns To Variety And Sector‐Specific Externality," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 532-548, January.
    20. Patrick Pintus, 2004. "International Capital Mobility and Aggregate Volatility: the Case of Credit-Rationed Open Economies," Computing in Economics and Finance 2004 193, Society for Computational Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Progressive taxation; Informal Sector; Equilibrium (In)determinacy.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H22 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Incidence
    • J46 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Informal Labor Market
    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eei:journl:v:60:y:2017:i:2:p:1-13. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Julia van Hove (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eeriibe.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.