IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ntj/journl/v65y2012i2p357-85.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transition Strategies in Enacting Fundamental Tax Reform

Author

Listed:
  • Keuschnigg, Christian
  • Keuschnigg, Mirela

Abstract

This paper discusses transition strategies that might be used in moving from an income tax to consumption based business taxes in the form of an R-base cash-flow tax, an R+F-base tax, or an ACE (allowance for corporate equity) tax. While these three taxes have attractive neutrality properties, moving from the status quo to a new system often involves a difficult trade-off between short-run losses and longrun gains. We consider two alternative ways of spreading the gains and costs of reform more evenly across generations. Deficit financing of the large revenue loss that occurs immediately after reform allows the smoothing of wage tax rates over time and the elimination or reduction of short-run income losses. Alternatively, a system of delayed deductions requires firms to carry forward with interest some of the large deductions that are newly available after the enactment of a major tax reform. In shifting tax revenue from the future to the present, such policies are politically appealing, as they trade somewhat reduced future income gains for improved economic performance immediately after reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Keuschnigg, Christian & Keuschnigg, Mirela, 2012. "Transition Strategies in Enacting Fundamental Tax Reform," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 65(2), pages 357-385, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:65:y:2012:i:2:p:357-85
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2012.2.04
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2012.2.04
    Download Restriction: Access is restricted to subscribers and members of the National Tax Association.
    File URL: https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2012.2.04
    Download Restriction: Access is restricted to subscribers and members of the National Tax Association.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17310/ntj.2012.2.04?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

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

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Auerbach, Alan J & Kotlikoff, Laurence J & Skinner, Jonathan, 1983. "The Efficiency Gains from Dynamic Tax Reform," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 24(1), pages 81-100, February.
    2. John W. Diamond & George R. Zodrow (ed.), 2008. "Fundamental Tax Reform: Issues, Choices, and Implications," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262042479, December.
    3. Christian Keuschnigg, 2008. "Exports, foreign direct investment, and the costs of corporate taxation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 15(4), pages 460-477, August.
    4. John W. Diamond & George R. Zodrow, 2007. "Economic Effects of a Personal Capital-Income Tax Add-On to a Flat Tax," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 63(3), pages 374-395, September.
    5. Christian Keuschnigg, 1991. "The Transition to a Cash Flow Income Tax," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 127(II), pages 113-140, June.
    6. Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg, 2010. "Transition Strategies in Fundamental Tax Reform," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2010 2010-10, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    7. Zodrow,George R. & Mieszkowski,Peter (ed.), 2002. "United States Tax Reform in the 21st Century," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521803830, January.
    8. Sarkar, Shounak & Zodrow, George R., 1993. "Transitional Issues in Moving to a Direct Consumption Tax," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 46(3), pages 359-376, September.
    9. Bonds, Stephen R. & Devereux, Michael P., 1995. "On the design of a neutral business tax under uncertainty," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 57-71, September.
    10. Roger Gordon & Laura Kalambokidis & Jeffrey Rohaly & Joel Slemrod, 2004. "Toward a Consumption Tax, and Beyond," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(2), pages 161-165, May.
    11. John W. Diamond & George R. Zodrow, 2006. "Economic Effects of a Personal Capital Income Tax Add-On to a Consumption Tax," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0629, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    12. Gravelle, Jane G, 1991. "Income, Consumption, and Wage Taxation in a Life-Cycle Model: Separating Efficiency from Redistribution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(4), pages 985-995, September.
    13. Keuschnigg, Christian, 1994. "Dynamic tax incidence and intergenerationally neutral reform," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 343-366, February.
    14. Doina Maria Radulescu & Michael Stimmelmayr, 2007. "ACE versus CBIT: Which is Better for Investment and Welfare?," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 53(2), pages 294-328, June.
    15. Johannes Becker & Clemens Fuest, 2005. "Does Germany collect revenue from taxing the normal return to capital?," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 26(4), pages 491-511, December.
    16. Roger H. Gordon & Joel Slemrod, 1988. "Do We Collect Any Revenue from Taxing Capital Income?," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy: Volume 2, pages 89-130, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Feldstein, Martin, 1976. "On the theory of tax reform," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1-2), pages 77-104.
    18. Sarkar, Shounak & Zodrow, George R., 1993. "Transitional Issues in Moving to a Direct Consumption Tax," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 46(3), pages 359-76, September.
    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. Leoš Vítek, 2013. "Corporate Income Taxation and the Corporate Tax Base in the Czech Republic [Zdanění firem a jejich daňový základ v České republice]," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2013(2), pages 38-49.
    2. Christian Keuschnigg & Julian Johs & Jacob Stevens, 2021. "Consolidating the Covid Debt," CESifo Working Paper Series 9497, CESifo.
    3. Karpavičius, Sigitas & Yu, Fan, 2016. "Should interest expenses be tax deductible?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 100-116.

    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. Christian Keuschnigg & Mirela Keuschnigg, 2010. "Transition Strategies in Fundamental Tax Reform," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2010 2010-10, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    2. Fehr, Hans, 1999. "Welfare Effects of Dynamic Tax Reforms," Beiträge zur Finanzwissenschaft, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, edition 1, volume 5, number urn:isbn:9783161470165, September.
    3. Zodrow, George R. & Diamond, John W., 2013. "Dynamic Overlapping Generations Computable General Equilibrium Models and the Analysis of Tax Policy: The Diamond–Zodrow Model," Handbook of Computable General Equilibrium Modeling, in: Peter B. Dixon & Dale Jorgenson (ed.), Handbook of Computable General Equilibrium Modeling, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 743-813, Elsevier.
    4. George R. Zodrow, 2019. "Should Capital Income Be Subject to Consumption-Based Taxation?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: George R Zodrow (ed.), TAXATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE Selected Essays of George R. Zodrow, chapter 5, pages 131-168, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Louis Kaplow, 2006. "Capital Levies and Transition to a Consumption Tax," NBER Working Papers 12259, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Peter Birch Sørensen, 2006. "Can Capital Income Taxes Survive? And Should They?," EPRU Working Paper Series 06-06, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    7. John W. Diamond & George R. Zodrow, 2013. "Promoting Growth, Maintaining Progressivity, and Dealing with the Fiscal Crisis," Public Finance Review, , vol. 41(6), pages 852-884, November.
    8. Peter Birch Sørensen, 2006. "Can Capital Income Taxes Survive? And Should They?," CESifo Working Paper Series 1793, CESifo.
    9. Christian Keuschnigg, 2011. "The Design of Capital Income Taxation: Reflections on the Mirrlees Review," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 437-452, September.
    10. Wen-ya Chang & Hsueh-fang Tsai, 2006. "On Dynamic Tax Reform with Regime Switching," Public Finance Review, , vol. 34(3), pages 306-327, May.
    11. Hans Fehr, 2000. "From Destination- to Origin-Based Consumption Taxation: A Dynamic CGE Analysis," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 7(1), pages 43-61, February.
    12. Berthold U. Wigger, 2004. "On the Intergenerational Incidence of Wage and Consumption Taxes," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 6(1), pages 1-23, February.
    13. John W. Diamond & George R. Zodrow, 2006. "Economic Effects of a Personal Capital Income Tax Add-On to a Consumption Tax," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0629, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    14. Louis Kaplow, 2003. "Transition Policy: A Conceptual Framework," NBER Working Papers 9596, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Charles E. McLure, Jr. & George R. Zodrow, 2007. "Consumption-based Direct Taxes: A Guided Tour of the Amusement Park," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 63(2), pages 285-307, June.
    16. Alan J. Auerbach, 2006. "The Future of Capital Income Taxation," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 27(4), pages 399-420, December.
    17. Charles E. McLure Jr. & George R. Zodrow, 2019. "A Hybrid Consumption-Based Direct Tax Proposed for Bolivia," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: George R Zodrow (ed.), TAXATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE Selected Essays of George R. Zodrow, chapter 6, pages 169-193, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    18. Sijbren Cnossen, 2016. "Tackling Spillovers by Taxing Corporate Income in the European Union at Source," CPB Discussion Paper 324, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    19. Kenneth A. Lewis & Laurence S. Seidman, 2000. "Transitional Protection During Conversion to a Personal Consumption Tax," Public Finance Review, , vol. 28(2), pages 99-119, March.
    20. Richard Ochmann, 2014. "Differential income taxation and household asset allocation," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(8), pages 880-894, March.

    More about this item

    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:ntj:journl:v:65:y:2012:i:2:p:357-85. 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: The University of Chicago Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.ntanet.org/ .

    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.