Authors:

  • N. Gregory Mankiw
  • Matthew Weinzierl
  • Danny Yagan

Excerpt

Optimal Taxation in Theory and Practice. N. Gregory Mankiw, Matthew Weinzierl, Danny Yagan, June 2009, Paper. "We highlight and explain eight lessons from optimal tax theory and compare them to the last few decades of OECD tax policy. As recommended by theory, top marginal income tax rates have declined, marginal income tax schedules have flattened, redistribution has risen with income inequality, and commodity taxes are more uniform and are typically assessed on final goods. However, trends in capital taxation are mixed, and capital income tax rates remain well above the zero level recommended by theory..." Link