Chapter 16

The Theory and Measurement of Tax Incidence

Abstract

The literature on tax incidence is so voluminous that a single chapter on tax incidence has to be highly selective. Chapter 16 focuses on three main issues. After reviewing the standard partial equilibrium analysis of tax incidence, the chapter begins with a discussion of the thorny issues related to measuring tax incidence in a general equilibrium setting, including the question of what the government does with the tax revenues. The chapter then turns to the equivalence of general taxes in a profitless, competitive, static economy. The chapter concludes with a detailed presentation of Harberger's seminal analysis of the incidence of the corporation income tax, ending with brief discussions ...

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