When are tax multipliers large?

Author(s)
Alexander Ziegenbein
Abstract

I show that the US tax multiplier depends on the direction of the tax change. The tax multiplier is significantly larger (in absolute value) for tax hikes than for tax cuts – regardless of whether I identify tax shocks via (i) the narrative approach or (ii) sign restrictions. The tax hike multiplier is strongly pro-cyclical, i.e., substantially larger in expansions. Variation in the tax cut multiplier over the business cycle is milder and statistically insignificant. A simple business cycle model with downward nominal wage rigidities can explain these results.

Organisation(s)
Department of Economics
Journal
Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control
Volume
158
ISSN
0165-1889
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jedc.2023.104785
Publication date
11-2023
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
502018 Macroeconomics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Control and Optimization, Applied Mathematics, Economics and Econometrics
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/when-are-tax-multipliers-large(ad01cd8c-c468-42ce-9b16-2bbe0d791e02).html