DP5812 Flat Tax Reforms in the US: A Boon for the Income Poor

Author(s):	Javier Díaz-Giménez, Josep Pijoan-Mas
Publication Date:	September 2006
Keyword(s):	earnings distribution, efficiency, flat-tax reforms, income distribution, inequality, wealth distribution
JEL(s):	D31, E62, H23
Programme Areas:	International Macroeconomics, Public Economics
Link to this Page:	cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=5812

In this article we quantify the aggregate, distributional and welfare consequences of two revenue neutral flat-tax reforms using a model economy that replicates the U.S. distributions of earnings, income and wealth in very much detail. We find that the less progressive reform brings about a 2.4% increase in steady state output and a more unequal distribution of after-tax income. In contrast, the more progressive reform brings about a -2.6% reduction in steady state output and a distribution of after-tax income that is more egalitarian. We also find that in the less progressive flat-tax economy aggregate welfare falls by -0.17% of consumption, and in the more progressive flat-tax economy it increases by 0.45% of consumption. In both flat-tax reforms the income poor pay less income taxes and obtain sizeable welfare gains.