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Optimal Dynamic Income Taxation under Quasi-Hyperbolic Discounting and Idiosyncratic Productivity Shocks

Author

Listed:
  • Yunmin Chen

    (National Central University, Taiwan)

  • Jang-Ting Guo

    (Department of Economics, University of California Riverside)

Abstract

In the context of a dynamic (three-period) general equilibrium model, this paper examines the optimal tax rates on capital savings and labor income under quasi-hyperbolic discounting and idiosyncratic productivity shocks. In the absence of skill-type uncertainty, we analytically show that the marginal capital tax wedges on agents' first-period savings are negative for correcting inherent preference internalities, and that these tax rates will be higher when productivity disturbances are incorporated. In the stochastic two-type setting with exogenously-given factor input prices, our calibrated numerical experiments find that the marginal capital wedges for both types on their period-1 savings are positive, indicating the government's motive to relax individuals' incentive-compatibility constraints. We also quantitatively find that the optimal tax rates for both types on their first- and second-period capital savings, as well as the economy's social welfare, are ceteris paribus decreasing in the degree of quasi-hyperbolic discounting because of a stronger need to rectify negative utility internalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Yunmin Chen & Jang-Ting Guo, 2024. "Optimal Dynamic Income Taxation under Quasi-Hyperbolic Discounting and Idiosyncratic Productivity Shocks," Working Papers 202403, University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucr:wpaper:202403
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. Narayana R. Kocherlakota, 2010. "The New Dynamic Public Finance," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9222.
    3. Fernandes, Ana & Phelan, Christopher, 2000. "A Recursive Formulation for Repeated Agency with History Dependence," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 223-247, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimal Dynamic Income Taxation; Quasi-Hyperbolic Discounting; Idiosyncratic Productivity Shocks.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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