Programs that defer taxes on savings (e.g., RRSPs or 401(k)s) are supposed to move income tax systems closer to the more efficient consumption tax. Whether or not RRSPs move income tax systems away from or closer to a consumption tax depends on whether or not interest on debts incurred to make...

The authors extend Deaton's atemporal optimal commodity tax model to a life-cycle environment in which the individual may choose to work in many periods. The authors are able to confirm the Corlett-Hague intuition--goods that are more complementary with leisure should be taxed at higher rates....