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The political economics of redistribution, inequality and tax avoidance

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  • Carlos Bethencourt
  • Lars Kunze

Abstract

A central result in the political economy of taxation is that the degree of redistribution is positively linked to income inequality. However, empirical evidence supporting such a relationship turns out to be mixed. This paper shows how the different empirical reactions can be rationalized within a simple model of tax avoidance and costly tax enforcement. By focusing on structure-induced equilibrium in which taxpayers vote over the size of the income tax and the level of tax enforcement, we show that more inequality may well reduce the extent of redistribution, depending on two opposing effects: the standard political effect and a negative tax base effect working through increases in the average level of tax avoidance and the share of enforcement expenditures in total tax revenue. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Bethencourt & Lars Kunze, 2015. "The political economics of redistribution, inequality and tax avoidance," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 267-287, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:163:y:2015:i:3:p:267-287
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-015-0248-9
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    1. Ángel Solano-Garcia, 2017. "Fairness in tax compliance: A political competition model," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 19(5), pages 1026-1041, October.
    2. Bethencourt, Carlos & Kunze, Lars, 2020. "Social norms and economic growth in a model with labor and capital income tax evasion," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 170-182.
    3. Hakan İnal, 2015. "Voting over law enforcement: mission impossible," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 349-360, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax avoidance; Voting; Redistribution; D72; H31; H26;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H26 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Tax Evasion and Avoidance
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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