Marginal tax rates and income in the long run: Evidence from a structural estimation

Abstract

We estimate a life-cycle model of savings, labor productivity and entrepreneurs to measure the long-run response of income to marginal tax rate cuts in the US. Long-run tax elasticities of income are largest for the richest 1% but are also positive and substantial for other income groups. In equilibrium, entrepreneurs obtain higher returns on wealth. This increases the investment response of rich, high-return entrepreneurs, amplifying their income elasticity to tax cuts. This leads to a reallocation of capital which increases TFP, and generates a boost in wages that magnifies the estimated income response of the bottom 90% as well.