Umeå Economic Studies,
Umeå University, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper concerns optimal taxation and provision of a public good in the context of the mixed tax problem, where the set of tax instruments consists of a nonlinear income tax and linear commodity taxes. The analysis is based on a two-type model with endogenous wage rates. Contrary to previous studies, we allow for imperfect competition in the labor market resulting from the influence of unions over wage formation. The results imply that the employment effects associated with each policy instrument are important to consider. In addition, the effective marginal tax rate of the highest income earners may be either positive or negative. Finally, if concern for employment and/or self-selection make the government choose a lower level of unemployment income than it would otherwise have done, it will to some extent compensate the unemployed by providing more of the public good and via lower commodity taxes.

Keywords: Optimal taxation; provision of public goods; unemployment

JEL-codes: D60; H21; H40; J64

31 pages, September 24, 2001

Full text files

DownloadAsset.action...Id=3&assetKey=ues568  

Download statistics

• Umeå University, Department of Economics
• Ordering Working Papers
• Home page for this series

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

This page generated on 2024-02-05 17:13:51.