Decision heuristics and tax perception: An analysis of a tax-cut-cum-base-broadening policy

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Autoren

  • Kay Blaufus
  • Jonathan Bob
  • Jochen Hundsdoerfer
  • Dirk Kiesewetter
  • Joachim Weimann

Externe Organisationen

  • Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin)
  • Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
  • Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
Forschungs-netzwerk anzeigen

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)1-16
Seitenumfang16
FachzeitschriftJournal of economic psychology
Jahrgang35
Frühes Online-Datum7 Jan. 2013
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Apr. 2013

Abstract

In this paper, both a conjoint analysis and a lab experiment are conducted to analyze the influence of changes in the tax rate and the tax base on the perceived tax burden. Our results show that the majority of individuals do not make rational tax decisions based on the actual tax burden but rather use simple decision heuristics. This leads to an irrationally high impact of changes in nominal tax rates on the perceived tax burden. Taxpayers favor tax options that apply a lower tax rate on their gross income over a higher tax rate applied on their net income despite the lower actual tax burden of the latter option. This result suggests that politicians could combine increasing fiscal revenues and decreasing subjects' tax perception. Furthermore, overestimation of tax rate changes increases considerably when information on tax rate is considered first (framing effect).

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

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Decision heuristics and tax perception: An analysis of a tax-cut-cum-base-broadening policy. / Blaufus, Kay; Bob, Jonathan; Hundsdoerfer, Jochen et al.
in: Journal of economic psychology, Jahrgang 35, 04.2013, S. 1-16.

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelForschungPeer-Review

Blaufus K, Bob J, Hundsdoerfer J, Kiesewetter D, Weimann J. Decision heuristics and tax perception: An analysis of a tax-cut-cum-base-broadening policy. Journal of economic psychology. 2013 Apr;35:1-16. Epub 2013 Jan 7. doi: 10.1016/j.joep.2012.12.004
Blaufus, Kay ; Bob, Jonathan ; Hundsdoerfer, Jochen et al. / Decision heuristics and tax perception : An analysis of a tax-cut-cum-base-broadening policy. in: Journal of economic psychology. 2013 ; Jahrgang 35. S. 1-16.
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