Migration, wages and fiscal competition

We analyze the effects of labor migration flows on income taxation between two countries (regions) differing by the size of their population and the level of productive efficiencies. Residents, otherwise identical, are heterogeneous because they incur different migration costs. Each resident compares the post-tax amount of money at home with the one obtained abroad, including the cost of migration. The government in each coun- try maximizes the tax receipt in order to provide the largest possible amount of public good. We prove the existence of an equilibrium for any configuration of wage and any different relative size of the countries (re- gions). Then, we compute and characterize the equilibrium for any set of parameters, size and wage differential. Finally, we show how equili- brium migration flows affect the level of income taxation in the origin and destination country.