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Progressive Tax Reforms in Flat Tax Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Salvador Barrios
  • Viginta Ivaškaitė-Tamošiūnė
  • Anamaria Maftei
  • Edlira Narazani
  • Janos Varga

Abstract

The adoption of flat tax systems in Central and Eastern European countries have often been supported by arguments of simplicity, higher compliance and lower distortionary effects. However, since income inequality is high in these countries, the question of introducing some progressivity has come to the fore in both policy and academic circles. In this paper, we combine microsimulation and macro models to analyze the effects of moving from a flat to a progressive tax system and we find that a reduction in income inequality can be achieved with positive, albeit negligible, employment and growth impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Salvador Barrios & Viginta Ivaškaitė-Tamošiūnė & Anamaria Maftei & Edlira Narazani & Janos Varga, 2020. "Progressive Tax Reforms in Flat Tax Countries," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(2), pages 83-107, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:mes:eaeuec:v:58:y:2020:i:2:p:83-107
    DOI: 10.1080/00128775.2019.1671201
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    Cited by:

    1. Aurelija Anciūtė & Viginta Ivaškaitė-Tamošiūnė & Anamaria Maftei & Janos Varga, 2020. "Labour Tax and Child Benefits Reform in Lithuania: For Better or Worse?," European Economy - Economic Briefs 059, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    2. Cerniauskas Nerijus & Jousten Alain, 2021. "Statutory, effective, and optimal net tax schedules in Lithuania," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-33, May.
    3. Fernández-Bastidas, Rocío, 2023. "Entrepreneurship and tax evasion," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    4. Elena Smirnova & Igor Okhrimenko & Aleksandra Zakharova, 2024. "Review of Best Practices in Self-Employment Taxation," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 299-314, March.
    5. European Commission, 2018. "Tax Policies in the European Union: 2018 Survey," Taxation Survey 2018, Directorate General Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission.
    6. Claudio Socci & Silvia D’Andrea & Stefano Deriu & Rosita Pretaroli & Francesca Severini, 2022. "Does the Personal Income Flat Tax fit with Economic Growth and Inequality in Italy?," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 8(3), pages 523-548, November.
    7. Salvador Barrios, 2020. "Taxation and growth: Why does it matter and how can it be analysed?," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 42(4), pages 366-384, December.
    8. D.E. Lapov & I.A. Mayburov, 2020. "Possibilities of Accounting for the Real Tax Burden When Modeling the Scale of Income Taxation," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 19(2), pages 129-148.
    9. Roeger, Werner & Varga, Janos & Veld, Jan in 't & Vogel, Lukas, 2021. "The distributional impact of labour market reforms: A model-based assessment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    10. Konstantins Benkovskis & Ludmila Fadejeva & Anna Pluta & Anna Zasova, 2023. "Keeping the best of two worlds: Linking CGE and microsimulation models for policy analysis," Working Papers 2023/01, Latvijas Banka.
    11. Loredana Andreea Cristea & Alina Daniela Vodă & Dragoș Mihai Ungureanu, 2020. "The Characterization of the Taxation Process in Terms of Tax Culture, as an Element of Novelty," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 863-870, December.
    12. repec:fst:rfsisf:v:7:y:2022:i:13:p:132-145 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Abuselidze, George, 2020. "Optimality of tax policy on the basis of comparative analysis of income taxation," MPRA Paper 104591, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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