Optimal Piecewise Linear Income Taxation

Patricia Apps (), Ngo Long and Ray Rees

Journal of Public Economic Theory, 2014, vol. 16, issue 4, 523-545

Abstract: Given its significance in practice, piecewise linear taxation has received relatively little attention in the literature. This paper offers a simple and transparent analysis of its main characteristics. We fully characterize optimal tax parameters for the cases in which budget sets are convex and nonconvex respectively. A numerical analysis of a discrete version of the model shows the circumstances under which each of these cases will hold as a global optimum. We find that, given plausible parameter values and wage distributions, the globally optimal tax system is convex, and marginal rate progressivity increases with rising inequality.

Date: 2014
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Related works:
Working Paper: Optimal Piecewise Linear Income Taxation (2011)
Working Paper: Optimal Piecewise Linear Income Taxation (2011)
Working Paper: Optimal Piecewise Linear Income Taxation (2009)
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