The poverty effects of a "Fat-Tax" in Ireland

Arbeitspapier

To combat growing levels of obesity, health related taxes have been suggested with taxes on foods high in fat or sugar. Such taxes have been criticised on the basis of their regressivity and potentially adverse impact upon poverty. This paper analyses the effect of such taxes on a range of poverty measures and also examines the effect of a revenueneutral tax subsidy mix with a tax on unhealthy food combined with a subsidy on more healthy food. Using Irish expenditure data, the results indicate that taxes on high fat/sugar goods on their own will be regressive but that a tax-subsidy combination can be broadly neutral with respect to poverty.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: UCD Centre for Economic Research Working Paper Series ; No. WP13/03

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health ; Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
• Subject: Poverty efficiency ; consumption dominance

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Madden, David
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University College Dublin, UCD School of Economics
• (where): Dublin
• (when): 2013

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/72195
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET