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Optimal taxation and redistribution in an OLG model with unemployment

Author

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  • Thomas Aronsson
  • Tomas Sjögren
  • Torbjörn Dalin

Abstract

This paper concerns redistribution and optimal taxation in an OLG model with two employed ability-types. We assume that the wage rates are determined by bargaining between unions and firms, implying that the equilibrium is characterized by unemployment. The tax instruments are nonlinear taxes on labor income and capital income. We show that the policy instruments that are used to calculate the marginal labor income tax rate for each ability-type give rise to intertemporal tax base effects. As such, dynamic models may provide insights with respect to labor income taxation, which are not easily gained in static models. In addition, since the relationship between the employment and the capital stock implies production inefficiency at the second best optimum, imperfect competition in the labor market may, itself, justify capital income taxation.
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Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Aronsson & Tomas Sjögren & Torbjörn Dalin, 2009. "Optimal taxation and redistribution in an OLG model with unemployment," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 16(2), pages 198-218, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:itaxpf:v:16:y:2009:i:2:p:198-218
    DOI: 10.1007/s10797-007-9059-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Masaya Shintani & Masaya Yasuoka, 2022. "Fertility, Inequality and Income Growth," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 8(1), pages 29-48, March.
    2. Thomas Aronsson & Luca Micheletto, 2021. "Optimal Redistributive Income Taxation and Efficiency Wages," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(1), pages 3-32, January.
    3. Aronsson, Thomas & Granlund, David, 2010. "Present-Biased Preferences and Publicly Provided Health Care," HUI Working Papers 41, HUI Research.
    4. Thomas Aronsson & Luca Micheletto, 2017. "Optimal Redistributive Income Taxation and Efficiency Wages," Working Papers 107, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    5. Aronsson, Thomas & Koskela, Erkki, 2008. "Optimal Redistributive Taxation and Provision of Public Input Goods in an Economy with Outsourcing and Unemployment," Umeå Economic Studies 759, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    6. Aronsson, Thomas & Johansson-Stenman, olof, 2013. "State-Variable Public Goods and Social Comparisons over Time," Working Papers in Economics 555, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    7. Aronsson, Thomas & Sjögren, Tomas, 2016. "Quasi-hyperbolic discounting, paternalism and optimal mixed taxation," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 24-36.
    8. Gahvari, Firouz & Micheletto, Luca, 2016. "Capital income taxation and the Atkinson–Stiglitz theorem," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 86-89.
    9. Dalin, Torbjörn & Stage, Jesper, 2011. "The effects of capital income taxation on wage formation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(2), pages 186-188.
    10. Thomas Aronsson & David Granlund, 2014. "Present-Biased Preferences and Publicly Provided Private Goods," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 70(2), pages 169-199, June.
    11. Aronsson, Thomas & Johansson-Stenman, Olof, 2014. "Positional preferences in time and space: Optimal income taxation with dynamic social comparisons," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 1-23.
    12. Thomas Aronsson & Olof Johansson‐Stenman, 2010. "Positional Concerns In An Olg Model: Optimal Labor And Capital Income Taxation," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 51(4), pages 1071-1095, November.
    13. Aronsson, Thomas & Johansson-Stenman, Olof, 2011. "State-Variable Public Goods When Relative Consumption Matters: A Dynamic Optimal Taxation Approach," Umeå Economic Studies 828, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    14. Aronsson, Thomas & Micheletto, Luca, 2017. "Optimal Redistributive Income Taxation and Efficiency Wages," Umeå Economic Studies 953, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    15. Květa Kubátová, 2009. "Optimal Taxation - Review of Theory [Optimální zdanění - přehled dosavadní teorie]," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2009(3), pages 24-36.
    16. Watanabe, Minoru & Miyake, Yusuke & Yasuoka, Masaya, 2018. "Unemployment, Income Growth and Social Security," MPRA Paper 86155, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Masaya Yasuoka & Minoru Hayashida, 2015. "How should a government finance redistribution policies?," Discussion Paper Series 136, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised Oct 2015.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimal taxation; OLG model; Redistribution; Unemployment; H21; H23; J51; J64;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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