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Opting in with the Joneses: What Affects the Timing of Municipal Adoption of a Local-option Meals Tax?

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  • Bo Zhao

Abstract

States use local-option taxes to promote local revenue diversification and improve local fiscal health. However, many sub-state governments wait a long time before adopting local-option taxes or do not adopt them at all, which seems puzzling or even irrational upon first glance. This paper uses the local-option meals tax in Massachusetts as a case study to examine the factors that affect the timing of local adoptions. It finds significant positive results for adoption by neighboring municipalities, which are robust to a variety of specifications, neighbor definitions, and weighting matrices. The adoption hazard also increases if a municipality faces greater fiscal stress, such as being more constrained by a property tax limitation or receiving a larger cut in state aid. In addition, the form of local government, size of the meals tax base, and ability to export the tax to non-residents are important factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Bo Zhao, 2021. "Opting in with the Joneses: What Affects the Timing of Municipal Adoption of a Local-option Meals Tax?," Working Papers 21-14, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedbwp:93550
    DOI: 10.29412/res.wp.2021.14
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Burge, Gregory S. & Piper, Brian, 2012. "Strategic Fiscal Interdependence: County and Municipal Adoptions of Local Option Sales Taxes," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 65(2), pages 387-415, June.
    2. Agrawal, David R., 2016. "Local fiscal competition: An application to sales taxation with multiple federations," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 122-138.
    3. Bo Zhao, 2018. "From Urban Core to Wealthy Towns," Public Finance Review, , vol. 46(3), pages 421-453, May.
    4. Agrawal, David R., 2014. "LOST in America: Evidence on local sales taxes from national panel data," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 147-163.
    5. Spry John Arthur, 2005. "The Effects of Fiscal Competition on Local Property and Income Tax Reliance," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 1-21, January.
    6. Can Chen & Whitney B. Afonso, 2021. "The Adoption of Local Option Fuel Taxes: Evidence From Florida Counties," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(1), pages 51-75, March.
    7. Albert J. Reed & J. William Levedahl & Charles Hallahan, 2005. "The Generalized Composite Commodity Theorem and Food Demand Estimation," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 87(1), pages 28-37.
    8. Luna, LeAnn & Bruce, Donald J. & Hawkins, Richard R., 2007. "Maxing Out: An Analysis of Local Option Sales Tax Rate Increases," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 60(1), pages 45-63, March.
    9. Burge, Gregory & Rogers, Cynthia, 2011. "Local option sales taxes and consumer spending patterns: Fiscal interdependence under multi-tiered local taxation," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 46-58, January.
    10. Bradbury, Katharine & Zhao, Bo, 2009. "Measuring Non–School Fiscal Disparities Among Municipalities," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 62(1), pages 25-56, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    hazard models; fiscal stress; policy diffusion; local-option tax; yardstick competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H73 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Interjurisdictional Differentials and Their Effects
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • R50 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - General

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