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Tax Policy and Present-Biased Preferences: Paternalism under International Capital Mobility

Author

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  • Aronsson, Thomas

    (Department of Economics, Umeå University)

  • Sjögren, Tomas

    (Department of Economics, Umeå University)

Abstract

This paper deals with tax-policy responses to quasi-hyperbolic discounting. Earlier research on optimal paternalism typically abstracts from capital mobility. If capital is mobile between countries, it may no longer be possible for national governments to control domestic savings via capital taxation (as in a closed economy). In this paper, we take a broad perspective on public policy responses to self-control problems by showing how these responses vary (i) between closed and open economies, (ii) between small open and large open economies, and (iii) depending on whether or not both source based and residence based capital taxes can be used.

Suggested Citation

  • Aronsson, Thomas & Sjögren, Tomas, 2011. "Tax Policy and Present-Biased Preferences: Paternalism under International Capital Mobility," Umeå Economic Studies 833, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:umnees:0833
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    Cited by:

    1. Arvaniti, Maria & Sjögren, Tomas, 2023. "Temptation in consumption and optimal taxation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 687-707.
    2. Giovanni Immordino & Anna Maria C. Menichini & Maria Grazia Romano, 2020. "Taxing and Regulating Vices," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(2), pages 622-647, April.
    3. Aronsson, Thomas & Sjögren, Tomas, 2016. "Quasi-hyperbolic discounting, paternalism and optimal mixed taxation," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 24-36.
    4. Maria Arvaniti & Tomas Sjögren, 2020. "Temptation in Consumption and Optimal Redistributive Taxation," CER-ETH Economics working paper series 20/339, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich.
    5. Thomas Aronsson & Olof Johansson‐Stenman & Tomas Sjögren, 2019. "Social Comparisons and Optimal Taxation in a Small Open Economy," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(4), pages 1500-1532, October.
    6. Aronsson, Thomas & Hetschko, Clemens & Schöb, Ronnie, 2020. "Globalization, Time-Preferences, and Populist Voting," Umeå Economic Studies 978, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    7. Christos Kotsogiannis & Robert Schwager, 2022. "Present bias and externalities: Can government intervention raise welfare?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(3), pages 1480-1506, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quasi-hyperbolic discounting; capital mobility; source based taxation; residence based taxation; labor income taxation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies

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