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The optimal distribution of the tax burden over the business cycle

Author

Listed:
  • Konstantinos Angelopoulos
  • Stylianos Asimakopoulos
  • James Malley
Abstract
This paper analyses optimal income taxes over the business cycle under a balanced-budget restriction, for low, middle and high income agents. A model incorporating capital-skill complementarity in pro- duction and differential access to capital and labour markets is de- veloped to capture the cyclical characteristics of the US economy, as well as the empirical observations on wage (skill premium) and wealth inequality. We fi nd that the tax rate for high income agents is opti- mally the least volatile and the tax rate for low income agents the least countercyclical. In contrast, the path of optimal taxes for the middle income group is found to be the most volatile and counter-cyclical. We further fi nd that the optimal response to output-enhancing capi- tal equipment technology and spending cuts is to increase the progres- sivity of income taxes. Finally, in response to positive TFP shocks, taxation becomes more progressive after about two years.

Suggested Citation

  • Konstantinos Angelopoulos & Stylianos Asimakopoulos & James Malley, 2013. "The optimal distribution of the tax burden over the business cycle," Working Papers 2013_16, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    • Handle: RePEc:gla:glaewp:2013_16
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    Cited by:

    1. Angelopoulos, Konstantinos & Asimakopoulos, Stylianos & Malley, James, 2015. "Tax smoothing in a business cycle model with capital-skill complementarity," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 420-444.
    2. Asimakopoulos, Panagiotis & Asimakopoulos, Stylianos, 2019. "Fiscal policy with banks and financial frictions," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 94-109.
    3. Konstantinos Angelopoulos & Wei Jiang & James Malley, 2015. "Fiscal multipliers in a two-sector search and matching model," Working Papers 2015_03, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    4. Sakkas, Stelios & Varthalitis, Petros, 2018. "The (intertemporal) equity-efficiency trade-off of fiscal consolidation," MPRA Paper 90983, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Angelopoulos, Konstantinos & Jiang, Wei & Malley, James, 2015. "Fiscal multipliers in a two-sector search and matching model," 2007 Annual Meeting, July 29-August 1, 2007, Portland, Oregon TN 2015-67, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    optimal taxation; business cycle; skill premium; income distribution;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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