Should Robots be Taxed?

Joao Guerreiro, Sergio Rebelo () and Pedro Teles

No 23806, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Using a quantitative model that features technical progress in automation and endogenous skill choice, we show that, given the current U.S. tax system, a sustained fall in automation costs can lead to a massive rise in income inequality. We characterize the optimal tax system in this model. We find that it is optimal to tax robots while the current generations of routine workers, who can no longer move to non-routine occupations, are active in the labor force. Once these workers retire, optimal robot taxes are zero.

JEL-codes: H21 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ltv, nep-pbe and nep-pub
Note: EFG PE
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (52)

Published as Joao Guerreiro & Sergio Rebelo & Pedro Teles, 2022. "Should Robots Be Taxed?," The Review of Economic Studies, vol 89(1), pages 279-311.

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.nber.org/papers/w23806.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Should Robots Be Taxed? (2022)
Working Paper: Should Robots be Taxed? (2018)
Working Paper: Should Robots Be Taxed? (2017)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23806

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
http://www.nber.org/papers/w23806

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().