Wage inequality has risen dramatically in the United States since at least 1980. This paper quantifies the role that the tax policies of the federal and state governments have played in mitigating wage inequality. The analysis, which isolates the contribution of federal taxes and state taxes...

It comes as no surprise to any observant person in this country that there is a wide disparity in our federal income tax treatment of persons who have differing incomes and financial resources. But while much has been written on tax law complexity and inefficiency, little or nothing has been...

Taxes on bank debit transactions have been used as an easy way to collect substantial revenue, especially during economic crisis. The existing literature has found evidence of distortionary effects of this policy on money demand and interest rates, even if the tax is charged at very low rates....

The tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97) came into effect in 2018. The new tax law was flawed in five important ways. First, the law generates large deficits that will reduce the ability of government to fund important priorities in the future;...

This paper uses UPC-level data to examine the relationship between excise taxes, retail prices, and consumer welfare in the distilled spirits market. We document a nominal rigidity in retail prices that arises because firms largely choose prices that end in ninety-nine cents and change prices in...

Soda taxes are being implemented in several cities across the US with the aim of reducing sugar intake from sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). Sugar is linked to obesity and to higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, and sodas as the main source are targeted with these taxes. In...

Two views dominate the debate about property tax incidence — the “capital tax” or “new” view, under which the tax distorts capital allocation and is borne primarily by capital owners, and the “benefit tax” view, under which the tax is an efficient user charge. Evidence of both...

This paper uses UPC-level data to examine the relationship between excise taxes, retail prices, and consumer welfare in the distilled spirits market. We document a nominal rigidity in retail prices that arises because firms largely choose prices that end in ninety-nine cents and change prices in...

Soda taxes are meant to improve public health outcomes insofar as they curb consumption of sugary beverages and thus sugar intake. This research is the first to get closer to the aim of the policy by evaluating the effect of the soda tax introduced in Berkeley in 2015, focusing on its effect on...

Social disparities have a common and consistent character in the vast majority of contemporary countries. The level of income inequality in OECD countries has grown in the past 30 years and is still rising. Taxes and tax systems, aside from social transfers, are fiscal instruments widely used in...