A geographic MEPLAN model based on the principles of economic behaviour was applied to study the marginal cost pricing approach for optimising the use of the transport system in the Helsinki region. As the model can estimate land use relocation the analysis emphasises the long-term impacts....

The study concerns an assessment of the effectiveness of car purchase tax differentiation according to the CO2-emission performance of newly sold cars as implemented in Finland. This policy instrument came into force as of 1 January 2008. The effectiveness of the instrument is assessed by means...

This study examines the extent of direct tax avoidance through income-shifting between wages and dividends, and approximates the deadweight loss due to this behavior for the owners of privately held corporations. The dual income tax system in Finland offers noticeable incentives for...

Computable general equilibrium (CGE) models require external parameters for proper estimations and can be relatively sensitive to the elasticity estimates used in them. We estimate LES demand elasticities and Frisch parameters for all Finnish household income deciles. These estimates will be...

This paper uses extensive Finnish panel data from 1995?2007 to analyze the elasticity of taxable income (ETI). I use individual changes in flat municipal income tax rates as an instrument for the overall changes in marginal tax rates. This instrument is not a function of individual income, which...

This paper studies the impact of increased price information on the functioning of the housing market. We first study the implications of new information for market outcomes in a theoretical framework so as to disentangle the potential channels through which information may be important. The...

Applied general equilibrium models have become a standard tool for the analysis of structural policies in many countries and international research organisations. Their use has been prompted by both developments in economics, but also on the growing need for quantitative policy analysis. The...

The present paper evaluates the quantitative impact of a pharmaceutical reform on pharmaceutical prices. A generic substitution policy was introduced in Finland in 2003 to contain rising pharmaceutical expenditure. After the reform pharmacists were obliged to propose a cheaper alternative to a...

Regional structural change is currently among the greatest challenges facing the public sector in many EU countries. In countries like Finland, where the public sectors have a large role in providing educational, health and social services, structural change rapidly becomes a fiscal problem....

Even though Finland has proportional elections, single-party control in Finnish local councils is not uncommon contrary to what one might expect. The largest party holds more than half of the seats in every third Finnish local council and is thus likely to govern alone. This study investigates...