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Balancing the Equity-efficiency Trade-off in Personal Income Taxation: An Evolutionary Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Simone Pellegrino

    (Department of Economics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino, Italy)

  • Guido Perboli

    (Department of Control and Computer Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy)

  • Giovanni Squillero

    (Department of Control and Computer Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy)

Abstract
In this paper we propose a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm for supporting the definition of a personal income tax reform. As a case study, we apply this methodology to the Italian income tax, and consider a recently implemented tax cut. Our optimization algorithm is able to determine a set of tax structures that maximize the redistributive effect of the tax while minimizing its inefficiency - considering for the former the Reynolds-Smolensky index and for the latter the weighted average of taxpayers' effective marginal tax rates. The approach also takes into account two additional factors: the tax has to guarantee a specific revenue and to minimize the share of losing taxpayers with respect to the pre-reform situation. Experimental results clearly demonstrate that the methodology we employ can support the policy-maker's decisions in complex, real- world situations.

Suggested Citation

  • Simone Pellegrino & Guido Perboli & Giovanni Squillero, 2017. "Balancing the Equity-efficiency Trade-off in Personal Income Taxation: An Evolutionary Approach," Working papers 044, Department of Economics, Social Studies, Applied Mathematics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino.
    • Handle: RePEc:tur:wpapnw:044
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Morini, Matteo & Pellegrino, Simone, 2018. "Personal income tax reforms: A genetic algorithm approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(3), pages 994-1004.
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    8. Maria Giovanna Monti & Simone Pellegrino & Achille Vernizzi, 2015. "On Measuring Inequity in Taxation Among Groups of Income Units," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 61(1), pages 43-58, March.
    9. Emmanuel Saez, 2001. "Using Elasticities to Derive Optimal Income Tax Rates," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 68(1), pages 205-229.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francesca Greselin & Simone Pellegrino & Achille Vernizzi, 2017. "Lorenz versus Zenga Inequality Curves: a New Approach to Measuring Tax Redistribution and Progressivity," Working papers 046, Department of Economics, Social Studies, Applied Mathematics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino.
    2. Daniela Mantovani & Simone Pellegrino & Achille Vernizzi, 2020. "A note on the maximum value of the Kakwani index," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 869-874, February.
    3. Simone Pellegrino & Achille Vernizzi, 2018. "Decomposing the Redistributive Effect of Taxation to Reveal Axiom Violations," Working papers 049, Department of Economics, Social Studies, Applied Mathematics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino.
    4. Edyta Małecka-Ziembińska & Radosław Ziembiński, 2020. "Application of Genetic Algorithm to Optimal Income Taxation," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-24, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Personal Income Tax; Evolutionary Algorithms; Multi-Objective Optimization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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