Tax progressivity and income inequality
By: edited by Joel Slemrod.
Contributors: Slemrod, Joel.; University of Michigan. School of Business Administration.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Cambridge [England]; New York, NY, USA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 363
Subjects: Progressive taxation -- United States -- Congresses.; Income distribution -- United States -- Congresses.; Income tax -- United States -- Congresses.; Tax incidence -- United States -- Congresses.
Description: This book assembles nine research papers written by leading public-finance economists on the subject of tax progressivity and its relationship to income inequality.

The papers document the changes during the 1980s in progressivity at the federal, state, and local levels in the United States. Conceptual issues about how to measure progressivity are investigated, as well as the extent to which declining progressivity contributed to the well-documented increase in income inequality over the past two decades.

Several papers investigate the economic impact and cost of progressive tax systems. Special attention is given to behavioral responses - including portfolio composition - to the taxation of high-income individuals. The concluding papers address the contentious issue of what constitutes a "fair" tax system. They contrast public attitudes concerning alternative tax systems to economists' notions of fairness, and examine the trade-off between fairness and economic growth.

Each paper is followed by the formal commentary of a conference participant plus a summary of the conference discussion.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Nine papers presented at a conference held at the "Michigan Business School" on September 11-12, 1992.