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Comparing Tax and Transfer Systems: How Might Incentive Effects Make a Difference?[Note 1. We would like to thank Sheila Cameron, Denise Doiron ...]
Author(s) -
Creedy John,
Dawkins Peter
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
economic record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1475-4932
pISSN - 0013-0249
DOI - 10.1111/1475-4932.00042
Subject(s) - incentive , economics , labour supply , labour economics , homogeneous , tax rate , flat tax , wage , microeconomics , tax reform , public economics , monetary economics , state income tax , gross income , mathematics , combinatorics
This paper compares a stylised version of a basic income flat tax system (BI/FT) with a means tested graduated tax system (MT/GT), with particular attention paid to potential labour supply effects of taxes. A highly simplified simulation model is developed in which individuals are homogeneous except for the wage they face, and there is a single means‐tested benefit. In this model, moving towards universal benefits can raise labour force participation and such effects can outweigh the labour supply reductions of working taxpayers. The number of losers is found to be quite small relative to the number of winners. If a fully universal system is not adopted, a move towards it, by reducing the taper on means tested benefits at the expense of a higher tax rate, can lead to significant winners without losers. These findings do not appear to be sensitive to assumptions about the individuals’ utility function defined over income and leisure.