Question

In: Economics

Why do lump sum taxes have no effect on how much consumers spend on consumption or...

Why do lump sum taxes have no effect on how much consumers spend on consumption or the fraction of their income that they choose to save?

in my macro class (using a made up economy), we used the assumption that lump taxes were autonomous. My professor said that this means a change in taxes would not affect the fraction of income the choose to spend on consumption or how much they decide to save. I don’t see how this is possible. If I’m making less money and prices remain the same, I would be spending much less.

Solutions

Expert Solution

You are absolutely right. But the question is not whether you are consuming less or more. It is whether your fraction of income spent, is changed or not. When there is a lump sum tax, it does not depend on your income level which means if the lump sum tax is set at $500, you will be paying a tax amount of$500 irrespective of your income.

You are definitely going to consume less because now you are paying taxes but the fraction of income that is spent will not change because it is assumed to be fixed at the rate of MPC. That is why in the equation of aggregate demand with lump sum taxes we have a multiplier 1/(1-MPC) because taxes are independent of income and consumer is assumed to consume MPC fraction of a given change in income.


Related Solutions

The households in Trumpcow spend 72% of their income. How much do Trumpcow’s taxes have to...
The households in Trumpcow spend 72% of their income. How much do Trumpcow’s taxes have to change in order to increase output by $943? Round to the nearest hundredth decimal place (2 decimal places).
a. How much money (a single lump sum) do you need to deposit today (t=O) to...
a. How much money (a single lump sum) do you need to deposit today (t=O) to have $1,000,000 in 30 years if you earn a 5.5% rate of return compounded annually with no additional investment? What about a 9.5% rate of return compounded annually? How about 1.7%? b.  If you purchase a new 2014 Ford for $30,000 today, what is your monthly payment if you borrow at a 6% nominal rate compounded monthly? Assume that you put 10% of the cost...
How much money do people spend on graduation gifts? In 2007, a federation surveyed 2215 consumers...
How much money do people spend on graduation gifts? In 2007, a federation surveyed 2215 consumers who reported that they bought one or more graduation gifts that year. The sample was selected in a way designed to produce a sample representative of adult Americans who purchased graduation gifts in 2007. For this sample, the mean amount spent per gift was $55.25. Suppose that the sample standard deviation was $20. Construct a 98% confidence interval for the mean amount of money...
How much money do people spend on graduation gifts? In 2007, a federation surveyed 2415 consumers...
How much money do people spend on graduation gifts? In 2007, a federation surveyed 2415 consumers who reported that they bought one or more graduation gifts that year. The sample was selected in a way designed to produce a sample representative of adult Americans who purchased graduation gifts in 2007. For this sample, the mean amount spent per gift was $58.15. Suppose that the sample standard deviation was $20. Construct a 98% confidence interval for the mean amount of money...
what happens to consumption and leisure if a lump sum tax is introduced instead of an...
what happens to consumption and leisure if a lump sum tax is introduced instead of an income tax. assume lump sum tax raises same revenue (in consumption units) as the income tax
why is lump sum compensation for an externailty nondistortionary?
why is lump sum compensation for an externailty nondistortionary?
Suppose that the MPC is 0.75 and that this economy has lump sum taxes. 1. What...
Suppose that the MPC is 0.75 and that this economy has lump sum taxes. 1. What is the spending multiplier? 2. What is the tax multiplier? 3. What will happen to GDP if taxes increase by 1,200? 4. What would to GDP if spending decreases by 1,200? 5. What decreases in taxes would have the same effect on the economy as the increase in G in (d)? 6. Suppose that both income and taxes increase by 2,000. What is the...
what happens to consumption and leisure if a lump sum tax (raises same revenue as income...
what happens to consumption and leisure if a lump sum tax (raises same revenue as income tax) is introduced instead if income tax.
Suppose that the government decides to reduce the lump-sum taxes. Using the diagram, describe and explain...
Suppose that the government decides to reduce the lump-sum taxes. Using the diagram, describe and explain the effects of this policy on aggregate output, consumption, employment (or hours worked), and the real wage (note: you should diagram the effects on a graph with the production possibilities frontier and indifference curve).
Linus has just won the "Wait To Spend" lottery. SpecificallyLinus has won the lump sum...
Linus has just won the "Wait To Spend" lottery. Specifically Linus has won the lump sum amount of $1250 but he must wait until the end of 8 years to receive the money. Linus is in need of cash and would rather receive a different pattern of payments: $375 today and then receive some unknown LUMP SUM (i.e. one time) amount that will be received in 8 years. Using an interest rate of14.50%, determine the unknown lump sum amount that...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT