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Income Inequality and Asset Prices under Redistributive Taxation

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  • Lubos Pastor
  • Pietro Veronesi

Abstract

Our simple model features agents heterogeneous in skill and risk aversion, incomplete financial markets, and redistributive taxation. In equilibrium, agents become entrepreneurs if their skill is sufficiently high or risk aversion sufficiently low. Under heavier taxation, entrepreneurs are more skilled and less risk-averse, on average. Through these selection effects, the tax rate is positively related to aggregate productivity and negatively related to the equity risk premium. Both income inequality and stock prices initially increase but eventually decrease with the tax rate. Investment risk, stock market participation, and skill heterogeneity all contribute to inequality. Cross-country empirical evidence supports the model’s predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Lubos Pastor & Pietro Veronesi, 2015. "Income Inequality and Asset Prices under Redistributive Taxation," NBER Working Papers 21668, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:21668
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kacperczyk, Marcin & Nosal, Jaromir & Stevens, Luminita, 2019. "Investor sophistication and capital income inequality," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 18-31.
    3. Jie Li & Sheng Li & Alice Y. Ouyang, 2023. "Housing and Wealth Inequality: The Role of Financial Market Participation," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 24(1), pages 141-170, May.
    4. Fischer, Marcel & Jensen, Bjarne Astrup, 2019. "The debt tax shield in general equilibrium," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 151-166.
    5. Ľuboš Pástor & Pietro Veronesi, 2021. "Inequality Aversion, Populism, and the Backlash against Globalization," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(6), pages 2857-2906, December.
    6. Bahmani-Oskooee, Mohsen & Hasanzade, Mehrnoosh & Bahmani, Sahar, 2022. "Stock returns and income inequality: Asymmetric evidence from state level data in the U.S," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    7. Kuo-Shing Chen & Chien-Chiang Lee & Huolien Tsai, 2019. "Taxation of Wealthy Individuals, Inequality Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-23, March.
    8. Christopher A. Hartwell & Roman Horvath & Eva Horvathova & Olga Popova, 2019. "Democratic Institutions, Natural Resources, and Income Inequality," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 61(4), pages 531-550, December.
    9. Matthieu Gomez, 2017. "Asset Prices and Wealth Inequality," 2017 Meeting Papers 1155, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    10. Ľuboš Pástor & Pietro Veronesi, 2020. "Political Cycles and Stock Returns," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(11), pages 4011-4045.
    11. Vanesa Jorda & Jose M. Alonso, 2020. "What works to mitigate and reduce relative (and absolute) inequality?: A systematic review," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-152, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets
    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy

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