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Love and taxes – and matching institutions

Author

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  • Kai A. Konrad
  • Kjell Erik Lommerud

Abstract

Income disparities and the intra‐family redistribution implied by a marriage may induce a high‐income earner to abstain from marrying a low‐income earner even though they would be a perfect match emotionally. Redistributive income taxation eases this problem, and the design of marriage matching institutions interacts with this role of redistributive taxation. Matching institutions that ensure that people largely from the same income groups meet each other can substitute for redistribution. Matching across income groups that focuses on emotional quality or preference congruence of the match may increase the efficiency‐enhancing role of taxation. Les inégalités de revenus et la redistribution intra‐ménage impliquée par un mariage peuvent entraîner une personne à haut revenu à s’empêcher de marier une personne à bas revenu même si elles semblent être un couple idéal émotionnellement. La fiscalité sur le revenu à saveur redistributrice peut rendre ce problème moins aigu, et le design d’institutions d'appariement marital interagit avec ce rôle de fiscalité redistributrice. Les institutions d'appariement qui font qu’en gros les personnes de même groupe de revenu se rencontrent peuvent être un substitut pour la redistribution. L'appariement entre personnes de divers groupes de revenus axé sur la qualitéémotionnelle ou la compatibilité des préférences peut accroître l’impact d’efficacité de la fiscalité.

Suggested Citation

  • Kai A. Konrad & Kjell Erik Lommerud, 2010. "Love and taxes – and matching institutions," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(3), pages 919-940, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:43:y:2010:i:3:p:919-940
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2010.01600.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Kai Konrad, 2015. "Affection, speed dating and heartbreaking," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 28(1), pages 159-172, January.
    2. Kai A. Konrad & Kjell Erik Lommerud, 2010. "Love and taxes – and matching institutions," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(3), pages 919-940, August.
    3. Dan Anderberg & Yu Zhu, 2010. "The Effect of Education on Marital Status and Partner Characteristics: Evidence from the UK," CESifo Working Paper Series 3104, CESifo.
    4. Schaubert, Marianna, 2018. "Do Alimony Regulations Matter inside Marriage? Evidence from the 2008 Reform of the German Maintenance Law," EconStor Preprints 173193, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    5. Schaubert, Marianna, 2018. "Do Alimony Regulations Matter inside Marriage? Evidence from the 2008 Reform of the German Maintenance Law," VfS Annual Conference 2018 (Freiburg, Breisgau): Digital Economy 181508, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Hofmann, Dirk & Qari, Salmai, 2011. "The law of attraction bilateral search and horizontal heterogeneity," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2011-017, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    7. Balestrino, Alessandro & Ciardi, Cinzia & Mammini, Claudio, 2013. "On the causes and consequences of divorce," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-9.
    8. Man Si, 2015. "Intrafamily bargaining and love," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 771-789, December.
    9. Dan Anderberg & Yu Zhu, 2014. "What a difference a term makes: the effect of educational attainment on marital outcomes in the UK," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(2), pages 387-419, April.
    10. Aloys Prinz, 2010. "Labor markets and mating markets: Using taxes to reduce the male–female pay gap," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 43-53, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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