Distributional and Welfare Effects of Germany's Year 2000 Tax Reform

This paper empirically investigates distributional and welfare effects of Germany's year 2000 income tax reform. The reform is simulated in an ex-ante behavioral microsimulation approach. Dead weight loss of changes in capital income taxation is estimated in a structural model for household savings and asset demand applied to German survey data. Significant reductions in tax rates result in income gains for most of the households. Gains are found greater for households in higher tax brackets, whereby income inequality increases, slightly greater in East- than in West-Germany. Moreover, households increase savings and alter the structure of asset demand as a result of shifts in relative asset prices. As a consequence, utility losses reduce welfare effects for almost all households.Capital income taxation, household savings, asset demand, welfare effects

Measuring distributional effects of fiscal reforms

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how to analyse the distributional effects of fiscal reforms. Thereby, distributional e¤ects shall be differentiated by four subconcepts, i.e. 1.) the traditional concept of inequality, 2.) the rather novel concept of polarisation, 3.) the concept of progression in taxation, and 4.) the concepts of income poverty and richness. The concept of inequality and the concept of income poverty are the by far most widely applied concepts in empirical analyses, probably since they appear to be the most transparent ones in their structure as well as the most controversial ones in political affairs. However, the concepts of richness, polarisation and progression in taxation shall additionally be subject of this analysis, since they appear to be useful devices on the course of analysing cause and effect of the other two concepts. --Inequality,polarisation,progression,poverty,richness

Household Savings Decision and Income Uncertainty

This paper empirically investigates the effects of changes in the interest rate as well as transitory income uncertainty on households' consumption-savings decision. Applying a structural demand model to German survey data, we estimate the uncompensated interest rate elasticity for savings, in line with the literature, to around zero. Accordingly, any policy-induced variation of net returns to savings is expected to have no significant effects on the level of savings. Moreover, we find significant effects of precautionary savings on the consumption-savings decision. As a result of a doubling of transitory income uncertainty, an average household increases savings by 4:4%. These effects vary by household composition and social status.Consumption-savings decision, interest rate elasticity of savings, income uncertainty

Dynamics of Earnings and Hourly Wages in Germany

There is by now a vast number of studies which document a sharp increase in cross-sectional wage inequality during the 2000s. It is often assumed that this inequality is of a "permanent nature" which in turn is used as an argument calling for government intervention. We examine these claims using a fully balanced panel of full-time employed individuals in Germany from the German Socio-Economic Panel for the years 1994–2006. In line with previous studies, our sample shows sharply rising inequality during the 2000s. Applying covariance structure models, we calculate the fraction of permanent and transitory wage and earnings inequality. From 1994 on, permanent inequality increases continuously, peaks in 2001 and then declines in subsequent years. Interestingly the decline in the permanent fraction of inequality occurs at the time of most rapid increases in cross-sectional inequality. It seems therefore that it is primarily the temporary and not the permanent component which has driven the strong expansion of cross-sectional inequality during the 2000s in Germany.variance decomposition, covariance structure models, earnings inequality, wage dynamics

Differential Income Taxation and Household Asset Allocation

This paper empirically investigates the effects of differential income taxation on households' portfolio choice and asset allocation applying a two-stage budgeting model of asset demand to German survey data. The model is structured into the discrete asset choice and the continuous asset choice, and the marginal income tax rate is simulated in a module of income taxation. Households that face relatively higher tax rates are found to have relatively greater demand for tax-privileged assets than households in the lower tax brackets. The higher the marginal tax rate the greater demand is for non-owner-occupied housing, for mortgage repayments, for building society deposits, for stocks, for insurances, and for consumer credits, whereas demand is lower for owner-occupied housing, bank deposits, and bonds.Household asset allocation, portfolio choice, two-stage budgeting, capital income taxation

Dynamics of Earnings and Hourly Wages in Germany

There is by now a vast number of studies which document a sharp increase in crosssectional wage inequality during the 2000s. It is often assumed that this inequality is of a "permanent nature" which in turn is used as an argument calling for government intervention. We examine these claims using a fully balanced panel of full-time employed individuals in Germany from the German Socio-Economic Panel for the years 1994-2006. In line with previous studies, our sample shows sharply rising inequality during the 2000s. Applying covariance structure models, we calculate the fraction of permanent and transitory wage and earnings inequality. From 1994 on, permanent inequality increases continuously, peaks in 2001 and then declines in subsequent years. Interestingly the decline in the permanent fraction of inequality occurs at the time of most rapid increases in cross-sectional inequality. It seems therefore that it is primarilythe temporary and not the permanent component which has driven the strong expansion of cross-sectional inequality during the 2000s in Germany.Variance decomposition, covariance structure models, earnings inequality, wage dynamics

Vermögensstrukturen im Lebenszyklus: immer noch große Unterschiede zwischen Ost- und Westdeutschland

Vor dem Hintergrund der wachsenden Bedeutung der privaten Altersvorsorge gewinnt die private Vermögensbildung im Lebenszyklus in Deutschland seit einigen Jahren auch an wirtschaftspolitischer Relevanz. Eine neue Studie des DIW Berlin zeigt erhebliche Unterschiede in den Vermögensstrukturen zwischen den alten und neuen Bundesländern. Ostdeutsche Haushalte halten einen deutlich geringeren Anteil ihres Vermögens in Immobilien und einen wesentlich höheren Anteil in Finanzwerten als Haushalte in Westdeutschland. Die Alterseffekte auf die Vermögensstruktur unterscheiden sich sehr stark zwischen ärmeren und reicheren Haushalten, insbesondere in Ostdeutschland. Dort bildet ein durchschnittlich vermögender Haushalt unabhängig vom Alter kaum Immobilienvermögen. Eine zunehmende Eigentümerquote bei den Jüngeren in Ostdeutschland lässt jedoch eine verstärkte Bildung von Immobilienvermögen auch im Zuge der Ausweitung der Förderung des Immobilienbesitzes für die zusätzliche Alterssicherung ("Wohn-Riester") erwarten.Housing assets, Household asset allocation, Life-cycle savings

Sparer reagieren kaum auf Zinsänderungen

Wie reagieren private Haushalte auf eine Veränderung der Verbraucherpreise oder des Zinsniveaus? Reduzieren sie gegenwärtigen Konsum und sparen stattdessen für die Zukunft, wenn Preise oder Zinssätze steigen? Oder lassen sie ihren einmal gewählten Konsumpfad unverändert? Nur wer die Antworten auf diese Fragen kennt, kann steuer- und sozialpolitische Reformen wie die Einführung einer Abgeltungsteuer, verbesserte steuerliche Abzugsmöglichkeiten von Altersvorsorgeleistungen oder Änderungen der Mehrwertsteuersätze richtig planen und ihre Wirkung prognostizieren. Die vorliegende Untersuchung analysiert das Sparverhalten privater Haushalte in Deutschland und zeigt, dass diese ihr Konsum-Spar- Verhalten zumindest kurzfristig kaum verändern, selbst wenn Schwankungen im Preis- oder Zinsniveau dafür monetäre Anreize bieten.Consumption-savings decision, interest rate elasticity of savings, savings function, intertemporal QUAIDS