The role of central bank independence on optimal taxation and seigniorage

Should inflation be thought of as “just another tax?” The theoretical basis for doing so dates back to Phelps (1973) and has been greatly refined ever since. Since optimal taxation minimizes the deadweight loss by equalizing the marginal distortions of all available taxes, including the inflation tax, a key distinctive theoretical implication obtained by these models is that inflation and tax rates have a positive relationship. While theoretically appealing, empirical studies find virtually no support for this key implication.