Excess Wages Tax

Author/Editor:

S. Nuri Erbas ; Alan A. Tait

Publication Date:

February 1, 1995

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary:

Excess wages tax (EWT) is a tax-based incomes policy instrument introduced in many centrally-planned economies and still used in some FSU and Eastern European countries in transition. The main macroeconomic goal of EWT is to curb inflationary pressures by penalizing through taxation the “excessive” wage awards granted by enterprises in the course of wage and price liberalization. In this paper, effects of EWT on the behavior of a profit-maximizing enterprise under monopsony, its incidence on wages and profits, and its impact on inflation are analyzed. The effect of EWT on an enterprise that maximizes workers’ income is also examined with some observations on EWT’s impact on managerial behavior. Finally, recent experience with EWT is assessed and compared to that suggested by the model.

Series:

Working Paper No. 1995/017

Subject:

Corporate income tax Labor Minimum wages Taxes Wage adjustments Wages

English

Publication Date:

February 1, 1995

ISBN/ISSN:

9781451843484/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA0171995

Pages:

50

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