The optimality of tax transfers [electronic resource] : what does life satisfaction data tell us? / Paul Frijters, David W. Johnston, Michael A. Shields
- Bib ID:
- 6100753
- Format:
- Book
- Author:
- Frijters, Paul
- Online Access:
- Archived at ANL
- Related Online Resources:
- Publisher's site
- Description:
- Brisbane, Qld. : School of Economics, University of Queensland, 2012
- Series:
-
- Discussion paper (University of Queensland. School of Economics : Online) ; 450. 1833-1068
- PANDORA electronic collection.
- Technical Details:
-
- Mode of access: Online. Address as at 17/09/2012: http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/450-the-optimality-of-tax-transfers-what-does-life-satisfaction-data-tell-us
- System requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader to read PDF file.
- Summary:
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This paper addresses an important policy question: who gets the largest utility gain from income and does the tax system adequately reflect this? We address this question by using Australian panel data and taking life satisfaction as a proxy for utility, allowing us to identify the marginal utility of additional income for different groups of individuals. We find that optimal transfers consist of transfers from the old to the middle aged, and from the married to the unmarried. This optimal utilitarian welfare policy is then contrasted with information on who actually receives transfers and who pays for them in Australia, where we find that taxes are too high for some groups, like the young, and that they are too low for other groups, like the elderly. We believe that the methodology developed in this paper could be fruitfully applied to the issue of optimal taxation in other countries.
- Notes:
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- Title from title screen (viewed on Sept. 17, 2012)
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 13-14)
- Text and graphics.
- Selected for archiving
- Subject:
- Other authors/contributors:
- Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Literary Dramatic Musical
- Published status:
- Published
- Publication date:
- 2012
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