Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/271961 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 10317
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
Like in many other countries, wealth inequality has increased in Switzerland over the last fifty years. By providing new evidence on cantonal top wealth shares for each of the 26 cantons since 1969, we show that the overall trend masks striking differences across cantons, both in levels and trends. Combining this with variation in cantonal wealth taxes, we then estimate an event study model to identify the dynamic effects of reforms to top wealth tax rates on the subsequent evolution of wealth concentration. Our results imply that a reduction in the top marginal wealth tax rate by 0.1 percentage points in-creases the top 1% (0.1%) wealth share by 0.9 (1.2) percentage points five years after the reform. This suggests that wealth tax cuts over the last 50 years explain roughly 18% (25%) of the increase in wealth concentration among the top 1% (0.1%).
Subjects: 
wealth tax
inequality
top wealth shares
JEL: 
H23
H24
D31
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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