Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the progressive taxation system in reducing income inequality and its role in addressing the issue.
Research Design and Methodology: Using a qualitative research approach, this study conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature, including theoretical frameworks and empirical studies, to synthesize critical insights on the impact of progressive taxation on income distribution.
Findings and Discussion: The findings suggest that progressive taxation, characterized by higher tax rates for individuals with higher incomes, can significantly reduce income inequality. Empirical evidence from various studies supports the idea that countries with more progressive tax systems tend to have lower levels of income inequality. However, the effectiveness of progressive taxation depends on factors such as the overall design of the tax system, enforcement mechanisms, and broader economic conditions.
Implications: The results of this study emphasize the importance of prioritizing fair tax policies and strengthening enforcement measures to promote social justice and inclusive economic growth. Future research should explore innovative tax policy solutions to face new challenges such as digitalization, globalization, and environmental sustainability.
Keywords
Article Details

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References
- Acemoglu, D., & Robinson, J. A. (2012). Why nations fail: The origins of power, prosperity, and poverty. Crown Business.
- Alesina, A., & La Ferrara, E. (2005). Preferences for redistribution in the land of opportunities. Journal of Public Economics, 89(5–6), 897–931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.05.004
- Alstadsæter, A., Johannesen, N., & Zucman, G. (2017). Tax evasion and inequality. American Economic Review, 107(5), 34–39. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.p20171050
- Alstadsæter, A., Johannesen, N., & Zucman, G. (2019). Tax Evasion and Inequality. American Economic Review, 109(6), 2073–2103. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20151318
- Atkinson, A. B. (2015). Inequality: What can be done? Harvard University Press.
- Atkinson, A. B., & Morelli, S. (2014). Wealth and inheritance in the long run. In A. B. Atkinson & T. Piketty (Eds.), Top incomes over the twentieth century: A contrast between continental European and English-speaking countries (pp. 247–273). Oxford University Press.
- Auerbach, A. J., Clausing, K. A., & Rohaly, J. (2017). Deconstructing the corporate tax base: Direct taxes on corporate income and profits. In Deconstructing the Tax Base for Direct Taxes: A Workshop for Policy Makers and Academics from Developing Countries. International Monetary Fund.
- Avi-Yonah, R. S., & Clausing, K. A. (2020). Reforming corporate taxation in a global economy: A proposal to adopt formulary apportionment. National Tax Journal, 73(3), 721–754. https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2020.3.07
- Avi-Yonah, R. S., & Clausing, K. A. (2020). Reforming corporate taxation in a global economy: A proposal to adopt formulary apportionment. The Hamilton Project.
- Avi-Yonah, R. S., & Clausing, K. A. (2020). Reimagining the International Tax System. Columbia Law Review, 120(2), 319–394. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3549163
- Bastagli, F., Coady, D., & Gupta, S. (2015). Income Inequality and Fiscal Policy. IMF Staff Discussion Note, SDN/15/13. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513594929.006
- Bengtsson, E., Holmlund, B., & Waldenström, D. (2012). Lifetime versus annual tax progressivity: Sweden, 1968–2009. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 114(3), 622-647. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9442.2012.01694.x
- Bengtsson, E., Krueger, A. B., & Munk, M. D. (2012). Estimating trends in inequality using Swedish tax data. American Economic Review, 102(6), 2812–2840. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.102.6.2812
- Besley, T., & Persson, T. (2014). Taxation and Development. Handbook of Economic Growth, 2, 51–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53540-5.00002-9
- Bird, R. M., & Zolt, E. M. (2008). Tax policy in developing countries: Looking back—and forward. CESifo.
- Braithwaite, V. (2003). Defiance in taxation and governance: Resisting and dismissing authority in a democracy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Kline, P., & Saez, E. (2014). Where is the land of opportunity? The geography of intergenerational mobility in the United States. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 129(4), 1553–1623. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju022
- Christians, A. (2012). Beyond formulary apportionment: An equity-risk sensitivity theory of international taxation. Brooklyn Journal of International Law, 37(3), 751-837.
- Christians, A. (2012). How the U.S. can improve global governance of tax policy: Four complementary steps. Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business, 32(3), 539–588.
- Clausing, K. A. (2016). Open: The progressive case for free trade, immigration, and globalization. Harvard University Press.
- Diamond, P. A., & Saez, E. (2011). The case for a progressive tax: From basic research to policy recommendations. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 165–190. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.25.4.165
- Elson, D. (2018). Gender and Taxation: Analysis and Overview of the Main Issues. United Nations Women. https://doi.org/10.18356/c99bc2f7-en
- Fullerton, D., & Metcalf, G. E. (2017). Environmental Taxes and Equity. National Tax Journal, 70(3), 617–652. https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2017.3.05
- Goulder, L. H. (2013). Carbon tax, revenue recycling, and the economy. Energy Economics, 40, S3-S11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2013.09.012
- Goulder, L. H. (2013). Climate change policy's interactions with the tax system. Climate Change Economics, 4(4), 1340014. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2010007813400140
- Hacker, J. S., & Pierson, P. (2020). American Amnesia: How the War on Government Led Us to Forget What Made America Prosper. Simon and Schuster.
- Jäntti, M., Li, Y., & Sierminska, E. (2020). Economic Inequality: Nordic and Global Perspectives. Nordic Economic Policy Review, 1, 23–43.
- Jordá, O. (2020). Tax policy and income inequality: Evidence from the States. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 177, 661-676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2020.06.020
- Lustig, N. (2018). Fiscal Policy, Income Redistribution and Poverty Reduction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Journal of Globalization and Development, 9(2), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1515/jgd-2017-0025
- Maxwell, N. L. (1999). Tax incidence, poverty, and income redistribution in Tanzania. The Journal of Development Studies, 35(2), 140-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220389908422597
- Mirrlees, J. A. (1971). An exploration in the theory of optimum income taxation. Review of Economic Studies, 38(2), 175–208. https://doi.org/10.2307/2296774
- Murphy, R. (2015). Dirty secrets: How tax havens destroy the economy. Verso Books.
- Musgrave, R. A. (1959). The theory of public finance: A study in public economy. McGraw-Hill.
- Ngamaba, K. H. (2017). The relationship between income inequality and subjective well-being: A review of the literature and a preliminary normative analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(6), 1539-1565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9787-6
- OECD. (2015). In It Together: Why Less Inequality Benefits All. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264235120-en
- Patel, R. (2018). Tax policy and income inequality: A review of the literature and implications for Pakistan. International Journal of Economic Research, 15(3), 421-432.
- Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Belknap Press.
- Piketty, T., & Saez, E. (2003). Income inequality in the United States, 1913–1998. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(1), 1-39. https://doi.org/10.1162/00335530360535135
- Piketty, T., Saez, E., & Zucman, G. (2018). Distributional national accounts: Methods and estimates for the United States. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(2), 553–609. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjy004
- Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
- Slemrod, J. (2007). Cheating Ourselves: The Economics of Tax Evasion. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.21.1.25
- Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). The price of inequality: How today's divided society endangers our future. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Torgler, B. (2003). Tax morale, trust, and corruption: Empirical evidence from transition countries. Journal of Economic Policy Reform, 6(4), 251–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/1384128032000155981
- Zucman, G. (2015). The hidden wealth of nations: The scourge of tax havens. University of Chicago Press.
- Zucman, G. (2018). The Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay. W. W. Norton & Company.
References
Acemoglu, D., & Robinson, J. A. (2012). Why nations fail: The origins of power, prosperity, and poverty. Crown Business.
Alesina, A., & La Ferrara, E. (2005). Preferences for redistribution in the land of opportunities. Journal of Public Economics, 89(5–6), 897–931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.05.004
Alstadsæter, A., Johannesen, N., & Zucman, G. (2017). Tax evasion and inequality. American Economic Review, 107(5), 34–39. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.p20171050
Alstadsæter, A., Johannesen, N., & Zucman, G. (2019). Tax Evasion and Inequality. American Economic Review, 109(6), 2073–2103. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20151318
Atkinson, A. B. (2015). Inequality: What can be done? Harvard University Press.
Atkinson, A. B., & Morelli, S. (2014). Wealth and inheritance in the long run. In A. B. Atkinson & T. Piketty (Eds.), Top incomes over the twentieth century: A contrast between continental European and English-speaking countries (pp. 247–273). Oxford University Press.
Auerbach, A. J., Clausing, K. A., & Rohaly, J. (2017). Deconstructing the corporate tax base: Direct taxes on corporate income and profits. In Deconstructing the Tax Base for Direct Taxes: A Workshop for Policy Makers and Academics from Developing Countries. International Monetary Fund.
Avi-Yonah, R. S., & Clausing, K. A. (2020). Reforming corporate taxation in a global economy: A proposal to adopt formulary apportionment. National Tax Journal, 73(3), 721–754. https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2020.3.07
Avi-Yonah, R. S., & Clausing, K. A. (2020). Reforming corporate taxation in a global economy: A proposal to adopt formulary apportionment. The Hamilton Project.
Avi-Yonah, R. S., & Clausing, K. A. (2020). Reimagining the International Tax System. Columbia Law Review, 120(2), 319–394. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3549163
Bastagli, F., Coady, D., & Gupta, S. (2015). Income Inequality and Fiscal Policy. IMF Staff Discussion Note, SDN/15/13. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513594929.006
Bengtsson, E., Holmlund, B., & Waldenström, D. (2012). Lifetime versus annual tax progressivity: Sweden, 1968–2009. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 114(3), 622-647. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9442.2012.01694.x
Bengtsson, E., Krueger, A. B., & Munk, M. D. (2012). Estimating trends in inequality using Swedish tax data. American Economic Review, 102(6), 2812–2840. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.102.6.2812
Besley, T., & Persson, T. (2014). Taxation and Development. Handbook of Economic Growth, 2, 51–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53540-5.00002-9
Bird, R. M., & Zolt, E. M. (2008). Tax policy in developing countries: Looking back—and forward. CESifo.
Braithwaite, V. (2003). Defiance in taxation and governance: Resisting and dismissing authority in a democracy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Kline, P., & Saez, E. (2014). Where is the land of opportunity? The geography of intergenerational mobility in the United States. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 129(4), 1553–1623. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qju022
Christians, A. (2012). Beyond formulary apportionment: An equity-risk sensitivity theory of international taxation. Brooklyn Journal of International Law, 37(3), 751-837.
Christians, A. (2012). How the U.S. can improve global governance of tax policy: Four complementary steps. Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business, 32(3), 539–588.
Clausing, K. A. (2016). Open: The progressive case for free trade, immigration, and globalization. Harvard University Press.
Diamond, P. A., & Saez, E. (2011). The case for a progressive tax: From basic research to policy recommendations. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25(4), 165–190. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.25.4.165
Elson, D. (2018). Gender and Taxation: Analysis and Overview of the Main Issues. United Nations Women. https://doi.org/10.18356/c99bc2f7-en
Fullerton, D., & Metcalf, G. E. (2017). Environmental Taxes and Equity. National Tax Journal, 70(3), 617–652. https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2017.3.05
Goulder, L. H. (2013). Carbon tax, revenue recycling, and the economy. Energy Economics, 40, S3-S11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2013.09.012
Goulder, L. H. (2013). Climate change policy's interactions with the tax system. Climate Change Economics, 4(4), 1340014. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2010007813400140
Hacker, J. S., & Pierson, P. (2020). American Amnesia: How the War on Government Led Us to Forget What Made America Prosper. Simon and Schuster.
Jäntti, M., Li, Y., & Sierminska, E. (2020). Economic Inequality: Nordic and Global Perspectives. Nordic Economic Policy Review, 1, 23–43.
Jordá, O. (2020). Tax policy and income inequality: Evidence from the States. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 177, 661-676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2020.06.020
Lustig, N. (2018). Fiscal Policy, Income Redistribution and Poverty Reduction in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Journal of Globalization and Development, 9(2), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1515/jgd-2017-0025
Maxwell, N. L. (1999). Tax incidence, poverty, and income redistribution in Tanzania. The Journal of Development Studies, 35(2), 140-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220389908422597
Mirrlees, J. A. (1971). An exploration in the theory of optimum income taxation. Review of Economic Studies, 38(2), 175–208. https://doi.org/10.2307/2296774
Murphy, R. (2015). Dirty secrets: How tax havens destroy the economy. Verso Books.
Musgrave, R. A. (1959). The theory of public finance: A study in public economy. McGraw-Hill.
Ngamaba, K. H. (2017). The relationship between income inequality and subjective well-being: A review of the literature and a preliminary normative analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(6), 1539-1565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9787-6
OECD. (2015). In It Together: Why Less Inequality Benefits All. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264235120-en
Patel, R. (2018). Tax policy and income inequality: A review of the literature and implications for Pakistan. International Journal of Economic Research, 15(3), 421-432.
Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Belknap Press.
Piketty, T., & Saez, E. (2003). Income inequality in the United States, 1913–1998. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(1), 1-39. https://doi.org/10.1162/00335530360535135
Piketty, T., Saez, E., & Zucman, G. (2018). Distributional national accounts: Methods and estimates for the United States. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(2), 553–609. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjy004
Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
Slemrod, J. (2007). Cheating Ourselves: The Economics of Tax Evasion. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.21.1.25
Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). The price of inequality: How today's divided society endangers our future. W. W. Norton & Company.
Torgler, B. (2003). Tax morale, trust, and corruption: Empirical evidence from transition countries. Journal of Economic Policy Reform, 6(4), 251–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/1384128032000155981
Zucman, G. (2015). The hidden wealth of nations: The scourge of tax havens. University of Chicago Press.
Zucman, G. (2018). The Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay. W. W. Norton & Company.