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The Impact of the Flat Tax Reform on Inequality: The Case of Romania

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  • Flaviu Mihaescu
  • Liviu Voinea

Abstract

In this paper we focused on the flat tax impact on inequality in Romania. We compared 2005 against 2004, when we were able to isolate the flat tax impact from other factors. We found that the higher the gross wage, the higher the flat tax gains. The inequality indicators we calculated (the Gini index, the relative mean deviation, the coeficient of variation, the standard deviation of logarithms, the Mehran index and the Piesch index) show an increase in inequality determined by the flat tax. The Lorenz curve is illustrative, as only the last quantile of the population (richest 20%) appears as the clear winner of the flat tax. The results also indicate that the income elasticity of consumption is decreasing across quartiles, from 81 to 71 percent. We conclude that the flat tax led to increased income inequality and it stimulated households consumption particularly among the wealthiest households.

Suggested Citation

  • Flaviu Mihaescu & Liviu Voinea, 2009. "The Impact of the Flat Tax Reform on Inequality: The Case of Romania," wiiw Balkan Observatory Working Papers 81, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    • Handle: RePEc:wii:bpaper:081
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thomas S. McCaleb, 1985. "Public Choice Perspectives on the Flat Tax Follies," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 5(2), pages 613-628, Fall.
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    Cited by:

    1. Paolo Brunori & Flaviana Palmisano & Vito Peragine, 2014. "Income taxation and equity: New dominance criteria and an application to Romania," Working Papers 348, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    2. Paolo Brunori & Flaviana Palmisano & Vito Peragine, 2022. "Income taxation and equity: new dominance criteria with a microsimulation application," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 20(3), pages 509-536, September.
    3. Genifera Claudia Bănică & Mariana Luminiţa Coman (Linţă), 2020. "Analysis of the Role of Direct Taxes Administered by the National Agency for Fiscal Administration in the Formation of Public Financial Funds in Romania," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(1), pages 852-858, August.
    4. Brad, Anca Maria, 2012. "The impact of tax policy on the welfare state," MPRA Paper 40347, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Andrei Gheorghiță, 2023. "Understanding Public Support for the Flat-Rate Personal Income Tax in a Post-Communist Context: The Case of Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, May.
    6. Eva Militaru & Madalina Ecaterina Popescu & Amalia Cristescu & Maria Denisa Vasilescu, 2019. "Assessing Minimum Wage Policy Implications upon Income Inequalities. The Case of Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-20, May.
    7. Alina - Georgeta AILINCA, 2019. "Progressivity Versus A Flat Tax Rate In Combating Social Inequality?," Contemporary Economy Journal, Constantin Brancoveanu University, vol. 4(3), pages 39-46.
    8. Andrey A. Pugachev, 2022. "Taxation-Based Indicators as a Measure of Income Inequality in Russian Regions," Journal of Tax Reform, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 8(1), pages 40-53.
    9. Stoyan Tanchev, 2021. "How the proportional income taxation increases inequality in Bulgaria," Journal of Tax Reform, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 7(3), pages 244-254.
    10. Iuliana Precupetu & M. Precupetu, 2013. "GINI Country Report: Growing Inequalities and their Impacts in Romania," GINI Country Reports romania, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    11. Liviu Voinea, 2011. "A Contribution to the Public-Private Wage Inequality Debate: The Iconic Case of Romania," wiiw Balkan Observatory Working Papers 93, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    12. Andrey A. Pugachev, 2023. "The Impact of Indirect Taxation on Inequality in Russia," Journal of Tax Reform, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 9(1), pages 19-33.
    13. Oancea, Bogdan & Andrei, Tudorel & Pirjol, Dan, 2017. "Income inequality in Romania: The exponential-Pareto distribution," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 469(C), pages 486-498.
    14. Voinea, L. & Lovin, H. & Cojocaru, A., 2018. "The impact of inequality on the transmission of monetary policy," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 236-250.
    15. Spengel, Christoph & Lazar, Sebastian & Evers, Lisa & Zinn, Benedikt, 2012. "Romania's development to a low-tax country: Effective corporate tax burden in Romania from 1992 to 2010 and Romania's current ranking among the eastern European member states," ZEW Discussion Papers 12-003, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    16. Andrey A. Pugachev, 2023. "Assessment of the Impact of Social Tax Deductions for Personal Income Tax on the Welfare and Inequality of Citizens in Russia," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 22(4), pages 789-813.
    17. 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

    Keywords

    flat tax; inequality; income distribution; consumption elasticity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • I39 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Other
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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