We use a rich dataset of weekly cigarette sales to examine how consumers adapt their behavior before and after excise tax increases--whether by reducing demand, stockpiling, traveling to low-tax jurisdictions, or substituting towards lower-cost brands. Consumer response varies substantially for...

This paper develops a Mirrlees (1971) framework with heterogeneous agents to analyze optimal redistributive taxes, optimal provision of public goods and the marginal cost of public funds (MCF). Standard MCF measures are shown to suffer from three defects: i) The MCF for the (non-individualized)...

In this paper we apply conjoint analysis to study the influence of changes in the tax rate and the tax base on the perceived tax burden. Our results show that the majority of individuals do not make rational tax decisions based on the actual tax burden, but rather use simple decision heuristics....

Die neuen Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union haben ihre nominalen Körperschaftsteuersätze vor ihrem Beitritt stark reduziert. Vielfach wurde befürchtet, dass die geringeren nominalen Steuersätze von restriktiveren Verlustverrechnungsmodalitäten begleitet werden. Dies könnte zu einem...

The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we survey the way in which the tax burden on labour has been proxied for in recent multi-country macro-economic studies. Second, we critically evaluate these proxies. Finally, we examine to what extent the conclusions of some studies change if some...

In this article we use contingent-claim analysis to calculate the effective tax rate (ETR) under corporate debt finance. In particular, we deal with both pure debt and two of the most well-known hybrid securities, i.e., convertible, and reverse convertible bonds. We show that: 1) effective...

How should pensions be taxed? In many cases pension savings are usually taxed more leniently than other forms of savings. What is the rationale for this? And are those concerns best targeted via taxation or mandatory pension savings? These issues are discussed with outset in the experience of...

This article criticizes a proposal recently put forward by the co-chairmen of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to abolish all tax expenditures and sharply reduce statutory tax rates. The author believes that abolishing all tax expenditures without regard to merit or a...

This paper argues that the large reduction in corporate tax rates and only gradual widening of tax bases in many countries over the last decades are consistent with tougher international competition for foreign direct investment (FDI). To make this point we develop a model in which governments...

In academic literature, it is usual to analyze the variability of effective tax rates, because some authors try to justify the reasons for the existence of differences between these taxes and statutory ones. However, this kind of research has never been done for the Portuguese case. The...