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Universidad de Costa Rica

Author

Listed:
  • Pablo Sauma
  • Juan Diego Trejos

    (Escuela de Economía de la Universidad de Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional, IICE.)

Abstract
Costa Rica allocates 20% of its GDP to finance a broad range of social programs. Social spending is funded primarily through indirect taxes, as well as through specific social security contributions. Using market income as a reference, only direct taxes turn out to be clearly progressive, as opposed to indirect taxes and specific contributions to the social security system, which tend to be rather neutral in relative terms. Nonetheless, most social programs are progressive, in fact some of them are very progressive-especially cash transfers, which are highly focalized– resulting in reductions in poverty and, principally, inequality. The study highlights the enormous significance of increasing amount and progressiveness in the country’s taxes, to give sustainability to the social public expenditure as well as strengthening certain focalized programs with a great impact on the poorest. Resumen. Costa Rica destina el equivalente 20% de su PIB al financiamiento de una amplia gama de programas sociales públicos. Ese gasto social se financia principalmente con impuestos indirectos así como con las contribuciones específicas para la seguridad social. Cuando se considera el ingreso de mercado como referencia, solamente los impuestos directos resultan claramente progresivos, no así los impuestos indirectos ni las contribuciones a la seguridad social, que tienden a ser más neutrales en términos relativos. No obstante, la mayor parte de los programas sociales son progresivos, y algunos de ellos muy progresivos especialmente los de transferencias monetarias, que son altamente focalizados-, lo cual resulta en reducciones en la pobreza y, principalmente, la desigualdad. El estudio realizado hace evidente la enorme importancia de aumentar la magnitud y progresividad de los tributos, para darle sostenibilidad al gasto público social, así como fortalecer algunos programas focalizados que tienen un elevado impacto sobre los más pobres.

Suggested Citation

  • Pablo Sauma & Juan Diego Trejos, 2014. "Universidad de Costa Rica," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 18E, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tul:ceqwps:18e
    as

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    File URL: http://repec.tulane.edu/RePEc/ceq/ceq18E.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marisa Bucheli & Nora Lustig & Máximo Rossi & Florencia Amábile, 2014. "Social Spending, Taxes, and Income Redistribution in Uruguay," Public Finance Review, , vol. 42(3), pages 413-433, May.
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    6. Branko Milanovic & Sean Higgins & Nora Lustig & Whitney Ruble & Timothy M. Smeeding, 2016. "Comparing the Incidence of Taxes and Social Spending in Brazil and the United States," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 62, pages 22-46, August.
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    11. Miguel Jaramillo, 2014. "The Incidence of Social Spending and Taxes in Peru," Public Finance Review, SAGE Publishing, vol. 42(3), pages 391-412, May.
    12. Nora Lustig & Carola Pessino & John Scott, 2014. "The Impact of Taxes and Social Spending on Inequality and Poverty in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay: Introduction to the Special Issue," Public Finance Review, , vol. 42(3), pages 287-303, May.
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    15. Nora Lustig & Sean Higgins, 2012. "Fiscal Incidence, Fiscal Mobility and the Poor: A New Approach," Working Papers 1202, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    16. John Scott, 2013. "Redistributive Impact and Efficiency of Mexico's Fiscal System," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 08, Tulane University, Department of Economics, revised Jul 2013.
    17. Sean Higgins & Nora Lustig, 2013. "Measuring Impoverishment: An Overlooked Dimension of Fiscal Incidence," Working Papers 1315, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    18. Nora Lustig, 2011. "Commitment to Equity Assessment (CEQ): A Diagnostic Framework to Assess Governments' Fiscal Policies Handbook," Working Papers 1122, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    19. Facundo Alveredo & Juliana Londoño Vélez, 2013. "High incomes and personal taxation in a developing economy: Colombia 1993-2010," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 1312, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    20. Sean Higgins & Claudiney Pereira, 2013. "The effects of Brazil's high taxation and social spending on the distribution of household income," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 1307, Tulane University, Department of Economics, revised May 2013.
    21. Sean Higgins & Claudiney Pereira, 2014. "The Effects of Brazil’s Taxation and Social Spending on the Distribution of Household Income," Public Finance Review, , vol. 42(3), pages 346-367, May.
    22. Sean Higgins & Nora Lustig & Whitney Ruble & Timothy Smeeding, 2013. "Comparing the incidence of taxes and social spending in Brazil and the United States," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 1316, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    23. John Scott, 2013. "Redistributive Impact and Efficiency of Mexico's Fiscal System," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 1308, Tulane University, Department of Economics, revised Jul 2013.
    24. Vito Tanzi, 2013. "Tax reform in Latin America: a long term assessment," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 1315, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    25. John Scott, 2014. "Redistributive Impact and Efficiency of Mexico’s Fiscal System," Public Finance Review, , vol. 42(3), pages 368-390, May.
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