Arbeitspapier

The Equal-Sacrifice Social Welfare Function with an Application to Optimal Income Taxation

We propose and axiomatically characterize a family of welfare criteria that prioritize individuals making larger sacrifices. By combining efficiency with a concern for equality of sacrifice, our criteria avoid serious shortcomings of utilitarianism. We illustrate our results within the Mirrleesian optimal taxation framework. Our simulated equal-sacrifice optimal tax schedule for the US has marginal tax rates in line with the US tax system and about 20 percentage points lower than the utilitarian recommendation.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 8505

Classification
Wirtschaft
Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
Taxation and Subsidies: Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
General Welfare; Well-Being
Subject
equal-sacrifice principle
optimal income taxation
welfare criterion

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Berg, Kristoffer
Piacquadio, Paolo Giovanni
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute (CESifo)
(where)
Munich
(when)
2020

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Berg, Kristoffer
  • Piacquadio, Paolo Giovanni
  • Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute (CESifo)

Time of origin

  • 2020

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