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Redistributive Taxation and Personal Bankruptcy in US States

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  • Grant, Charles

    (University of Reading)

  • Koeniger, Winfried

    (University of St. Gallen)

Abstract

Both personal bankruptcy and redistributive taxes can insure households' consumption risk and both vary considerably across US states. We derive sufficient conditions under which more redistributive taxation makes bankruptcy exemptions less attractive both for the intratemporal insurance and for inter-temporal consumption smoothing. Exploiting data variation over time for 18 US states 1980-2003, we find considerable support for our model's predictions: (i) redistributive taxation and bankruptcy exemptions are negatively correlated; (ii) both policies are associated with more equal consumption growth whereas the effect on unsecured household debt is less clear-cut.

Suggested Citation

  • Grant, Charles & Koeniger, Winfried, 2005. "Redistributive Taxation and Personal Bankruptcy in US States," IZA Discussion Papers 1805, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1805
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Burcu Duygan-Bump & Charles Grant, 2008. "Household debt repayment behaviour: what role do institutions play?," Supervisory Research and Analysis Working Papers QAU08-3, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    2. Bertola, Giuseppe & Koeniger, Winfried, 2007. "Consumption smoothing and income redistribution," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(8), pages 1941-1958, November.
    3. Thomas Hintermaier & Winfried Koeniger, 2016. "Debt Portfolios and Homestead Exemptions," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 8(4), pages 103-141, October.
    4. Corradin, Stefano & Gropp, Reint & Huizinga, Harry & Laeven, Luc, 2016. "The effect of personal bankruptcy exemptions on investment in home equity," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 77-98.
    5. Rigmar Osterkamp, 2006. "Insolvency in selected OECD countries: Outcomes and regulations," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 4(1), pages 27-33, 04.
    6. Bertola, Giuseppe & Koeniger, Winfried, 2006. "Consumption smoothing and liquidity income redistribution," CFS Working Paper Series 2006/34, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    7. Giuseppe Bertola & Stefan Hochguertel, 2007. "Household Debt and Credit: Economic Issues and Data Problems," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 36(2), pages 115-146, July.
    8. Rigmar Osterkamp, 2006. "Insolvenzen in ausgewählten OECD-Ländern - Umfang, Tendenzen, Gesetze," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 59(09), pages 22-29, May.
    9. Thomas Hintermaier & Winfried Koeniger, 2009. "Debt Portfolios," Working Papers 646, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    10. Benjamin B Boozer & S. Keith Lowe & Robert J. Landry III, 2014. "Personal Financial Decisions: A Study of Changes in Homestead Exemption Levels and Consumer Bankruptcy Choices," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 8(4), pages 17-26.
    11. Michelle J. White, 2008. "Bankruptcy: Past Puzzles, Recent Reforms, and the Mortgage Crisis," NBER Working Papers 14549, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    consumer credit; redistributive taxes and transfers; personal bankruptcy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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