Quantifying the Laffer Curve on the Continued Activity Tax in a Dynastic Framework

Journal article: It is argued that the tax on continued activity should be removed by implementing actuariallyfair schemes. However, these schemes cannot fund the expected Social Security deficit. This paper proposes to give individuals a fraction of the actuarially-fair incentives in the case of postponed retirement. Social Security faces a trade-off between giving enough incentives to make individualselay retirement and giving little increase in pensions in order to help finance its expected deficit. This trade-off is captured by a Laffer curve. Finally, when the Social Security system aims to maximize welfare, the optimal tax on postponed retirement is still strictly positive.

Author(s)

Jean-Olivier Hairault, François Langot, Thepthida Sopraseuth

Journal
  • International Economic Review
Date of publication
  • 2008
Keywords
  • Actuarially-fair benefits
  • Retirement behavior and wealth
  • Actuarially-fair benefits
Pages
  • 755-797
Version
  • 1
Volume
  • 49