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Personal Income Tax Progressivity: Trends and Implications

Author

Listed:
  • Claudia Gerber
  • Mr. Alexander D Klemm
  • Ms. Li Liu
  • Mr. Victor Mylonas

Abstract

This paper discusses how the structure of the tax system affects its progressivity. It suggests a measure of progressive capacity of tax systems, based on the Kakwani index, but independent of pre-tax income distributions. Using this and other progressivity measures, the paper (i) documents a decline in progressivity over the last decades and (ii) examines the relationship between progressivity and economic growth. Regressions do not reveal a significant impact of progressivity on growth, suggesting that efficiency costs of progressivity may be small—at least for degrees of progressivity observed in the sample.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Gerber & Mr. Alexander D Klemm & Ms. Li Liu & Mr. Victor Mylonas, 2018. "Personal Income Tax Progressivity: Trends and Implications," IMF Working Papers 2018/246, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2018/246
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Parro, Francisco, 2024. "Unveiling the impact of income taxes on inequality in a HACT model," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Gaurav Datt & Ranjan Ray & Christopher Teh, 2022. "Progressivity and redistributive effects of income taxes: evidence from India," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 141-178, July.
    3. Salvador Barrios, 2020. "Taxation and growth: Why does it matter and how can it be analysed?," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 42(4), pages 366-384, December.
    4. Massimo Baldini & Leonzio Rizzo, 2021. "Flat Tax: European Experiences and the Italian Proposals," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 238(3), pages 137-162, September.
    5. Massimo Baldini, 2021. "Redistribution and progressivity of the Italian personal income tax, 40 years later," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 345-366, June.
    6. Binder, Carola, 2019. "Inequality and the inflation tax," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 1-1.
    7. Ostry, Jonathan D. & Espinoza, Raphael & Zhang, Xiaoxiao, 2019. "Globalization, Redistribution, and the Size of Government," CEPR Discussion Papers 14137, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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