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Optimal Taxation and Public Provision for Poverty Reduction

Author

Listed:
  • Kanbur Ravi
  • Paukkeri Tuuli
  • Pirttila Jukka
  • Tuomala Matti

    (Faculty of Management, University of Tampere)

Abstract
The existing literature on optimal taxation typically assumes there exists a capacity to implement complex tax schemes, which is not necessarily the case for many developing countries. We examine the determinants of optimal redistributive policies in the context of a developing country that can only implement linear tax policies due to administrative reasons. Further, the reduction of poverty is typically the expressed goal of such countries, and this feature is also taken into account in our model. We derive the optimality conditions for linear income taxation, commodity taxation, and public provision of private and public goods for the poverty minimization case, and compare the results to those derived under a general welfarist objective function. We also study the implications of informality on optimal redistributive policies for such countries. The exercise reveals non-trivial differences in optimal tax rules under the different assumptions.

Suggested Citation

  • Kanbur Ravi & Paukkeri Tuuli & Pirttila Jukka & Tuomala Matti, 2016. "Optimal Taxation and Public Provision for Poverty Reduction," Working Papers 1611, Tampere University, Faculty of Management and Business, Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tam:wpaper:1611
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    File URL: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-0249-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ali Enami & Ugo Gentilini & Patricio Larroulet & Nora Lustig & Emma Monsalve & Siyu Quan & Jamele Rigolini, 2023. "Universal Basic Income Programs: How Much Would Taxes Need to Rise? Evidence for Brazil, Chile, India, Russia, and South Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(9), pages 1443-1463, September.
    2. Pertti Haaparanta & Ravi Kanbur & Tuuli Paukkeri & Jukka Pirttilä & Matti Tuomala, 2022. "Promoting education under distortionary taxation: equality of opportunity versus welfarism," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 20(2), pages 281-297, June.
    3. Aronsson, Thomas & Bastani, Spencer & Tayibov, Khayyam, 2021. "Social Exclusion and Optimal Redistribution," Umeå Economic Studies 1004, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    4. Maniquet, François & Neumann, Dirk, 2016. "Well-Being, Poverty and Labor Income Taxation: Theory and Application to Europe and the U.S," IZA Discussion Papers 10181, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Obara Takuya & Tsugawa Shuichi, 2019. "Public Good Provision Financed by Nonlinear Income Tax Under Reduction of Envy," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(4), pages 1-16, October.
    6. Obara, Takuya & 小原, 拓也 & Tsugawa, Shuichi & Managi, Shunsuke, 2019. "Envy-free Pricing for Impure Public Good," CCES Discussion Paper Series 69, Center for Research on Contemporary Economic Systems, Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University.
    7. Abuselidze, George, 2020. "Optimality of tax policy on the basis of comparative analysis of income taxation," MPRA Paper 104591, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Tsaur-Chin Michael Wu & Chih-Ta Yen & Che-Chiang Huang & Jin-Li Hu, 2023. "Social Insurance Under Fraud And Redistributive Taxation," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 68(02), pages 467-483.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Redistribution; income taxation; commodity taxation; public good provision; poverty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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