Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Paper Series,
Sveriges Riksbank (Central Bank of Sweden)

No 377: Tax and spending shocks in the open economy: are the deficits twins?

Mathias Klein () and Ludger Linnemann ()
Additional contact information
Mathias Klein: Research Department, Central Bank of Sweden, Postal: Sveriges Riksbank, SE-103 37 Stockholm, Sweden
Ludger Linnemann: TU Dortmund University, Postal: Fakultät Wirtschaftswissenschaften , Applied Economics , D-44221 Dortmund

Abstract: We present evidence on the open economy consequences of US fiscal policy shocks identified through proxy-instrumental variables. Tax shocks and government spending shocks that raise the government budget deficit lead to persistent current account deficits. In particular, the negative response of the current account to exogenous tax reductions through a surge in the demand for imports is among the strongest and most precisely estimated effects. Moreover, we find that the reduction of the current account is amplified when the tax reduction is due to lower personal income taxes and when the government increases its consumption expenditures. Historically, a much larger share of current account dynamics has been due to tax shocks than to government spending shocks.

Keywords: Tax policy; government spending; proxy-vector autoregressions; current account; twin deficits

JEL-codes: E32; E62; F41

38 pages, August 1, 2019

Full text files 

no.-377-tax-and-spen...e-deficits-twins.pdf PDF-file Full text

Download statistics

Questions (including download problems) about the papers in this series should be directed to Lena Löfgren ()
Report other problems with accessing this service to Sune Karlsson ().

RePEc:hhs:rbnkwp:0377This page generated on 2024-09-13 22:16:58.