Income taxes widen the wealth gap, while bequest taxes have mixed effects.
The article explores how income and bequest taxes impact income inequality. By analyzing data from 20 OECD countries, the researchers found that higher income taxes tend to increase income inequality, while the effect of bequest taxes is unclear. They developed a model that considers inter-generational transfers and found that changes in tax structure can influence wealth transmission and human capital accumulation, ultimately affecting income distribution. The model's predictions align with real-world data patterns.