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Environmental tax reform in a federation with rent-induced migration

Author

Listed:
  • Jean-Denis Garon

    (ESG-UQAM, CESIfo and CIRPEE)

  • Charles Séguin

    (ESG-UQAM and CIREQ)

Abstract

We study the welfare effects of a revenue-neutral green tax reform in a federation. The reform consists of increasing a tax on a polluting input and reducing that on labor income. Households are fully mobile within the federation. Regions are unequally endowed with a nonrenewable natural resource. Resource rents are owned by regions and are redistributed to citizens on a residence basis, which generates a motive for inefficiently relocating to the resource-rich jurisdiction. Since the resource-poor region has a higher marginal product of labor than does the resource-rich region, the tax reform mitigates the scope of inefficient migration. This positive welfare effect may significantly reduce abatement costs of pollution and calls for higher environmental tax, as compared with a model where migration is assumed away.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Denis Garon & Charles Séguin, 2015. "Environmental tax reform in a federation with rent-induced migration," Working Papers 2015.13, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:fae:wpaper:2015.13
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Federalism; Environment; Taxation; Equalization; Mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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