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Reported gross income and marginal tax rates: estimation of the behavioural reactions of Spanish taxpayers

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  • Jos順鬩x Sanz-Sanz
  • Mar𨁁rrazola-Vacas
  • Nuria Rueda-L󰥺
  • Desiderio Romero-Jordᮠ

Abstract

This article estimates, for the Spanish personal income tax, the elasticity of reported gross income to marginal tax rates. The identification of this elasticity has been performed using the reform approved by Law 35/2006, which came into force in January 2007. The elasticities obtained suggest the existence of important efficiency costs, with significant regional differences. The average elasticity estimated for Spain as a whole is 0.676. However, this elasticity is highly dispersed throughout the Spanish administrative regions, which indicates the unequal power of distortion of the tax. Thus, households whose principal source of income is salary display an elasticity of 0.337, compared to 0.682 for households whose main income source comes from business or savings. Lastly, a positive correlation is also detected between elasticity and income level: an elasticity of 3.6 is reached for taxpayers with an annual gross income exceeding 100000€.

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  • Jos順鬩x Sanz-Sanz & Mar𨁁rrazola-Vacas & Nuria Rueda-L󰥺 & Desiderio Romero-Jordᮠ, 2015. "Reported gross income and marginal tax rates: estimation of the behavioural reactions of Spanish taxpayers," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(5), pages 466-484, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:47:y:2015:i:5:p:466-484
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2014.972548
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    3. Frish Roni & Zussman Noam & Igdalov Sophia, 2020. "The Wage Response to a Reduction in Income Tax Rates: The Israeli Tax Reform," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-22, April.
    4. Sanz-Sanz, José Félix, 2016. "The Laffer curve in schedular multi-rate income taxes with non-genuine allowances: An application to Spain," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 42-56.
    5. Miguel Almunia & David Lopez-Rodriguez, 2019. "The elasticity of taxable income in Spain: 1999–2014," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 281-320, November.
    6. Sophia Igdalov & Roni Frish & Noam Zussman, 2017. "The Wage Response to a Reduction in Income Tax Rates: The 2003–2009 Tax Reform in Israel," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2017.14, Bank of Israel.

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