In: Economics
How to explain the impact of the operation of an excise tax on tobacco sales with a demand and supply curves? Including the role of price elasticity.
Answer) When a government imposes an excise tax on a good it will shift the supply curve leftward which creates a wedge between the supply curve and the demand curve, forcing a new equilibrium where the amount paid by the consumer is greater than the amount received by the producer.
The tax incidence depends on the relative price elasticity of supply and demand. When supply is more elastic than demand, buyers bear most of the tax burden. When demand is more elastic than supply, producers bear most of the cost of the tax. Tax revenue is larger the more inelastic the demand and supply are.