We apply a standard tax and benefit incidence analysis to estimate the impact on inequality and poverty of direct taxes … extent of inequality reduction induced by direct taxes and transfers is rather small (2 percentage points on average … and Brazil from achieving similar reductions in inequality is not the lack of revenues but the fact that they spend less …

Taxes and transfers can have significant impacts on poverty and inequality. All standard measures are by definition … transfers can lower inequality and poverty (including the severity of poverty) but still make a subgroup of the poor worse off … when standard poverty and inequality indicators decline and overall taxes are progressive. …

comparable methodology yields the following results. Direct taxes and cash transfers reduce inequality and poverty by nontrivial … at government costs, they reduce inequality in all countries by considerably more than cash transfers, reflecting their …