In New Zealand, excise taxes are levied on three commodity groups: alcohol, tobacco and petrol. The 2001 Tax Review, published by the New Zealand Treasury, argued that excises are inequitable and inefficient, and advised that these taxes should be removed and the revenue replaced by raising the...

Extensive research has shown that few robust results regarding the optimal tax structure are available. Moreover, the stylised models used in optimal tax analyses are not appropriate for practical policy advice. This paper proposes a method of examining optimal marginal income tax reforms using...

Sandmo (2009) suggests that the use of environmental taxes to promote the consumption of “clean goods” could have unwanted effects in that it leads to the consumption of “dirty goods”. This would therefore cast doubt on both the efficiency of environmental policy measures that act...

This paper examines the effects on consumer prices arising from imposing a carbon tax in New Zealand, using information about inter-industry transactions and the use of fossil fuels by industries. The welfare effects of the carbon tax are examined for a range of different household types....

This paper examines the question of the extent to which redistribution can be achieved using a structure of consumption taxes differential rates and exemptions. A local measure of progression, that of liability progression (equivalent to the revenue elasticity) is examined. Results are obtained...

TaxTrans is designed to examine a range of models involving direct and indirect taxes and transfer payments in general and partial equilibrium contexts. It provides a 'windows' environment and allows the user to select a range of parameter values and tax rates. Emphasis is given to the...

This paper decomposes the redistributive effect of indirect taxation into vertical, horizontal inequity and reranking effects. The latter two effects arise because households with the same total expenditure have different patterns. The pre-and post-GST structures in Australia are examined. The...

This paper presents a method of computing welfare changes (compensating and equivalent variations) arising from a tax or social security policy change, in the context of behavioural microsimulation modelling where individuals can choose between a limited number of discrete hours of work. The...

This paper considers the potential for the cultural transmission of attitudes toward work, welfare, and individual responsibility to explain the intergenerational correlation in welfare receipt. Specifically, we investigate whether 18-year olds’ views about social benefits and the drivers of...

This paper provides an applied general equilibrium analysis of several alternative taxation regimes applying to superannuation. It is motivated by the decision, announced by the Australian Government in its 2006 Budget, to exempt from tax all superannuation benefits received by recipients over...