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Fantastic tax cuts and where to find them

Author

Listed:
  • Felix Bierbrauer
  • Pierre Boyer
  • Emanuel Hansen

Abstract

An important question in public economics is whether, and under what conditions, it may be possible to design a self-financing tax cut. This column provides new theoretical insights on the requirements for a tax reform that makes everyone better off. Furthermore, it shows that if there is no self-financing tax cut with changes to one or two income brackets, then a more complicated reform will also not work. It applies these insights to the US Earned Income Tax Credit reform in 1975. Although this reform had the correct properties, the analysis concludes that it was not fully self-financing.

Suggested Citation

  • Felix Bierbrauer & Pierre Boyer & Emanuel Hansen, 2023. "Fantastic tax cuts and where to find them," ECONtribute Policy Brief Series 051, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:ajk:ajkpbs:051
    as

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    File URL: https://www.econtribute.de/RePEc/ajk/ajkpbs/ECONtribute_PB_051_2023.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2023
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hansen, Emanuel, 2021. "Optimal income taxation with labor supply responses at two margins: When is an Earned Income Tax Credit optimal?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    2. J. A. Mirrlees, 1971. "An Exploration in the Theory of Optimum Income Taxation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 38(2), pages 175-208.
    3. Jacquet, Laurence & Lehmann, Etienne & Van der Linden, Bruno, 2013. "Optimal redistributive taxation with both extensive and intensive responses," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(5), pages 1770-1805.
    4. Felix J. Bierbrauer & Pierre C. Boyer & Emanuel Hansen, 2023. "Pareto‐Improving Tax Reforms and the Earned Income Tax Credit," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(3), pages 1077-1103, May.
    5. Richard Blundell & Ian Preston, 2019. "Principles of Tax Design, Public Policy and Beyond: The Ideas of James Mirrlees, 1936–2018," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(1), pages 5-18, March.
    6. Peichl Andreas & Bierbrauer Felix & Sachs Dominik & Weishaar Daniel, 2021. "Mehrheitsfähige und wohlfahrtssteigernde Reformen des deutschen Steuer- und Transfersystems: Von Entzugsraten, Mittelstands- und Wohlstandsbäuchen," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, De Gruyter, vol. 22(3), pages 191-202, September.
    7. Emmanuel Saez, 2001. "Using Elasticities to Derive Optimal Income Tax Rates," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 68(1), pages 205-229.
    8. Normann Lorenz & Dominik Sachs, 2016. "Identifying Laffer Bounds: A Sufficient-Statistics Approach with an Application to Germany," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 118(4), pages 646-665, October.
    9. Emmanuel Saez, 2002. "Optimal Income Transfer Programs: Intensive versus Extensive Labor Supply Responses," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(3), pages 1039-1073.
    10. Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1982. "Self-selection and Pareto efficient taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 213-240, March.
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