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Local Sales Taxes as a Means of Increasing Revenues and Reducing Property Tax Burdens: An Analysis Using Propensity Score Matching
Author(s) -
Afonso Whitney B.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
public budgeting and finance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.694
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1540-5850
pISSN - 0275-1100
DOI - 10.1111/pbaf.12039
Subject(s) - propensity score matching , matching (statistics) , revenue , selection bias , property tax , econometric analysis , property (philosophy) , sales tax , economics , selection (genetic algorithm) , public economics , tax revenue , econometrics , business , tax reform , finance , ad valorem tax , statistics , computer science , philosophy , mathematics , epistemology , artificial intelligence
In keeping with previous literature, local option sales taxes (LOSTs) are shown to reduce property tax burdens as well as increase own source revenue, although the magnitude is larger than previously estimated. This article advances the literature by using more sophisticated econometric techniques to minimize self‐selection bias concerns. It also addresses some of the lingering questions from previous studies. Using county data from 35 states over the time period of 1983–2004, counties with LOSTs are matched to counties that have the same estimated propensity to adopt a LOST but are precluded by their states from doing so.