Designing Direct Tax Reforms: Alternative Approaches

Abstract

How high should the top personal income tax rate be? Is there an `optimal' structure of tax rates and thresholds? Despite numerous value judgements being required to answer such questions, this paper suggests that 'rational policy analysis' principles can nevertheless be applied to support policy advice on these and other direct tax design questions. It is argued that the economic models thought suitable as the basis for tax analysis vary according to the precise ways in which the policy question is formulated; the underlying behavioural responses to taxation expected across the taxpaying population; the precise definitions of key variables such as income inequality; and the specification of policy objectives such as redistribution, revenue-raising or tax efficiency.