Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/229462 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 8644
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
What are the effects of austerity on distributional policy? We exploit the autonomy of Italian municipalities in setting non-linear income taxes and the exogenous introduction of a fiscal rule to show that austerity increases tax progressivity. Consistent with this evidence, we find that in a panel of countries austerity correlates with higher marginal tax rates on top, but not on average earners. The increase in progressivity in Italy is driven by mayors having college-degree or working in high-skill occupations, while less-educated or lower-skilled mayors raise taxes uniformly. In the first post-reform election, mayors of former type have higher reelection odds.
Subjects: 
austerity
fiscal rules
non-linear income taxation
difference-in-discontinuity
JEL: 
D78
H24
H70
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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