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Fiscal Policies Amid a Pandemic: The Response of Italy to the COVID-19 Crisis

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  • Marco Di Pietro
  • Luigi Marattin
  • Raoul Minetti

Abstract

This paper investigates qualitatively and quantitatively the fiscal policies adopted in Italy in response to the COVID-19 crisis. We assess the rationale of the policies in light of the characterizing features of the business and household sectors and of the state of public budgets. We then evaluate the impact of the policies through a calibrated model of the Italian economy featuring a comprehensive specification of taxes, transfers, and subsidies. The quantitative analysis suggests that the policies reduced the gross domestic product (GDP) impact of the COVID-19 shock by 25 percent at the peak of the crisis. Alternative fiscal stimulus plans tilted toward a larger reduction of corporate taxes, and stronger increases in public expenditures could have achieved a sharper attenuation of the GDP drop but would have been less desirable from a distributive perspective or for the dynamics of public finances.

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  • Marco Di Pietro & Luigi Marattin & Raoul Minetti, 2020. "Fiscal Policies Amid a Pandemic: The Response of Italy to the COVID-19 Crisis," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 73(3), pages 927-950, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:73:y:2020:i:3:p:927-950
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2020.3.13
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    2. Di Bartolomeo, Giovanni & D'Imperio, Paolo & Felici, Francesco, 2022. "The fiscal response to the Italian COVID-19 crisis: A counterfactual analysis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    3. Serghei PETIGHIN, 2024. "Pandemic-resilient investment policies: lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis," Romanian Journal of Economics, Institute of National Economy, vol. 58(1(67)), pages 117-132, June.
    4. Sorin-Ciprian Teiusan & Dorina Plescaci, 2022. "An Insight Into Research Of Tax And Fiscal Policy In Response To Covid-19 Crisis," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 2, pages 37-47, April.
    5. Török, Ádám & Konka, Boglárka & Nagy, Andrea Magda, 2023. "A koronavírus-járvány a közgazdasági szakirodalomban. Egy új határterület tudománymetriai elemzése [The coronavirus pandemic in the economics literature. The scientometric analysis of a new discipl," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(3), pages 284-304.
    6. Tien-Chin Wang & Hsiu-Chin Hsieh & Xuan-Huynh Nguyen & Chin-Ying Huang & Jen-Yao Lee, 2022. "Evaluating the Influence of Criteria Revitalization Strategy Implementation for the Hospitality Industry in the Post-Pandemic Era," World, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Huang, Yuxia & Jiang, Chenxin & Wang, Kun & Xiao, Yibin & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Public-private partnership in high-speed rail financing: Case of uncertain regional economic spillovers in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 64-75.
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