个人所得税调控功能的局限性--兼论我国收入调节的"促富治贫"政策

当前我国收入差距不断扩大的现状得到了人们的普遍关注,并认为这种差距扩大的主要原因是我国个人所得税的调控作用发挥不好.人们过多地把注意力集中在税收调控上是不对的,本文立足于阐述个人所得税调控功能的局限性,从而指出税收并非万能之匙,提出我国收入调节政策应遵循"调高、保低、扩中"的思想进行调整.作者特别强调我国收入调节的核心问题不是富人太富,而是穷人太多且太穷.因此我们的收入调节政策取向不应是"杀富济贫",而应是"促富治贫",缩小贫富差距的重要手段是发展教育.     

当前内蒙古居民收入分配现状、原因及其对策

当前内蒙古居民收入在稳步增长的同时,出现了城乡、地区、行业收入差距拉大的趋势,特别是农牧民收入水平与全国平均水平相比还存在较大差距。居民收入不平衡的现状不仅直接影响着居民的生活质量,而且在客观上制约了和谐内蒙古的构建。为此,应立足于内蒙古地区优势,通过多种途径,逐步缩小居民收入分配差距,努力提高少数民族贫困居民收入,实现内蒙古地区经济社会的和谐发展。     

普惠保险、农村人力资本投资与城乡收入差距

基于柯布-道格拉斯生产函数模型等理论,运用中介效应模型等方法,利用2012—2021年我国30个省（区、市）面板数据,分析普惠保险对农村人力资本投资和城乡收入差距的影响。结果表明：农村人力资本投资在普惠保险缩小城乡收入差距中具有中介效应;在居民受教育水平和农村人力资本投资水平较低的地区,普惠保险更有利于缩小城乡收入差距。因此,要充分发挥普惠保险优势,因地制宜有序缩小城乡收入差距。     

Geographic Inequality in Income and Mortality in Germany*

We use data from the German Federal Statistical Office on population counts, births, deaths and income to study the development of socio‐economic inequality in mortality rates from 1990 to 2015 for different age groups and both genders. Ranking the 401 German districts by average disposable income per capita, we observe large inequalities in district‐level mortality rates in 1990, which had almost disappeared, or at least been flattened considerably, by 2015 particularly for infants, children and the very old. The most important driver of this reduction in inequality is German reunification in 1990. As indicated by more detailed analyses comparing districts in the former East and the former West, even five years after reunification there was a large gap in disposable income, with all Eastern districts considerably poorer than the poorest district in the West. At the same time, mortality rates were higher for all age groups and both genders in the East. Income has caught up, to the extent that there are equally poor districts in the East and West in most recent years (although the West is still much richer on average). Mortality rates in the East have improved considerably and are even below mortality rates for similarly poor districts in the West in the most recent data.     

The Heterogeneous Responses of Consumption between Poor and Rich to Government Spending Shocks

Government spending shocks have substantially different effects on consumers across the income distribution: consumption increases for the poor whereas it decreases for the rich in response to a rise in government expenditure. I shed light on this issue by incorporating a progressive tax scheme and productive public expenditure into a heterogeneous agent model economy with indivisible labor. The model economy is able to successfully match aggregate and disaggregate effects of government spending shocks on consumption. When the government increases its spending and accompanies it by a rise in tax progressivity, the poor are employed and increase their consumption since after‐tax wage rates increase while the rich decrease their consumption because of a fall in after‐tax wage rates.     

Poverty and progress: choices for the developing world

Some development strategists equate progress with economic growth and others consider increased equity in income distribution or a reduction in poverty as indicators of progress. This report examined the empirical relationship between economic growth and income distribution using data derived from a number of recent comparative studies. Various studies supported the Kuznets hypothesis, which states that during the early phases of development income distribution worsens and improves during the later phases. These studies demonstrated that as per capita income increases in poor countries, income distribution worsens until the per capita income reaches the $800 level. After that level is reached, income distribution generally improves. In a study of 11 countries, the relationship, in recent years, between income growth for the rich and for the poor, and income growth for the country as a whole was examined. Of the 11 countries, Taiwan, Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka, Korea, and Costa Rica were ranked as good performers, since more than 30% of the increment in national income was allocated to the poorest 60% of the population. The countries of India, Philippines, Turkey, and Colombia were ranked as intermediate performers since 20-30% of the increment in national income went to the poorest 60%. Poor performance countries were Brazil, Mexico, and Peru. In these countries less than 20% of the income increment was allocated to the poorest 60%. A table provided comparative national income and income distribution data for the 11 countries. These findings did not permit an assessment of different development strategies; however, they did indicate that: 1) some countries, such as Taiwan, Yugoslavia, and Korea, achieved both rapid growth and greater income distribution equity; and that 2) although some countires, such as Sri Lanka, which stressed equity, grew less rapidly than other countries, such as Mexico, which stressed economic growth, the poor fared much better in the former countries than in the latter countries. The conclusion was reached that proverty must be reduced by: 1) improving income distribution; 2) promoting economic growth; and 3) reducing population growth. Efforts must be directed toward preventing the poor from falling behind the rich as development proceeds.     

Inequality in Mortality in Spain*

We analyse the evolution of mortality rates in Spain by age and gender between 1990 and 2018. We compare municipalities, ranked by socio‐economic status (SES) and grouped into bins of similar population size, to study changes not only in levels but also in inequality in mortality across the SES spectrum. We document large decreases in mortality rates throughout the period for all age groups, including children, even after 2000, and continuing after the Great Recession. These declines are stronger for boys and men, who had higher mortality rates to begin with. We find that inequality in mortality across municipalities was low among the young by 2018, while it was higher among adult men and older women. Inequality in fact increased over the period for older men. We explore the role of different causes of death and find that this increase in inequality is driven by stronger improvements in cancer‐related mortality among men living in richer areas. These improvements are not found among women, given their increases in mortality due to lung cancer.     

DO STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT MATTER IN MUNICIPAL ORGANISATIONS?

In Sweden, a large share of public services are organised, produced and delivered by municipalities, large and small, rich and poor. Contextual conditions (size and location) and economic conditions (efficiency and wealth) differ considerably among these service‐providing organisations. The question raised in this paper is whether a municipality's economic situation is a direct consequence of the contextual situation or the organisation's strategy and management – that is: Do strategy and management matter? Our analysis rests on a resource‐based view of organisation strategy. Both quantitative and qualitative observations have been made. First, cost savings data from 50 municipalities were examined for patterns and relationships between contextual and economic conditions. Second, about 100 representatives – municipal executive board members and leading officials – from 20 municipalities with different characteristics were interviewed. In this paper we outline an analytical framework and propose that sound and sustainable provision of municipal service depends on whether organisational decision‐making is in harmony with work methods and objectives. The results indicate that strategy and management do matter. Among the municipalities included in our study, we identify four prevalent basic strategies. Strategy tends to coincide with the economic situation rather than the contextual situation. A low‐performing municipality tends to have a predominantly outward orientation in its decision‐making, whereas a higher‐performing municipality makes decisions with both inward and outward orientation.     

Top Indian Incomes, 1922-2000

This article presents data on the evolution of top incomes andwages for 1922–2000 in India using individual tax returndata. The data show that the shares of the top 0.01 percent,0.1 percent, and 1 percent in total income shrank substantiallyfrom the 1950s to the early to mid-1980s but then rose again,so that today these shares are only slightly below what theywere in the 1920s and 1930s. This U-shaped pattern is broadlyconsistent with the evolution of economic policy in India: Fromthe 1950s to the early to mid-1980s was a period of "socialist"policies in India, whereas the subsequent period, starting withthe rise of Rajiv Gandhi, saw a gradual shift toward more probusinesspolicies. Although the initial share of the top income groupwas small, the fact that the rich were getting richer had anontrivial impact on the overall income distribution. Althoughthe impact is not large enough to fully explain the gap observedduring the 1990s between average consumption growth shown inNational Sample Survey–based data and the national accounts–baseddata, it is sufficiently large to explain a nonnegligible partof it (20–40 percent).     

Survey Under‐Coverage of Top Incomes and Estimation of Inequality: What is the Role of the UK's SPI Adjustment?

Survey under‐coverage of top incomes leads to bias in survey‐based estimates of overall income inequality. Using income tax record data in combination with survey data is a potential approach to address the problem; we consider here the UK's pioneering ‘SPI adjustment’ method that implements this idea. Since 1992, the principal income distribution series (reported annually in Households Below Average Income) has been based on household survey data in which the incomes of a small number of ‘very rich’ individuals are adjusted using information from ‘very rich’ individuals in personal income tax return data. We explain what the procedure involves, reveal the extent to which it addresses survey under‐coverage of top incomes and show how it affects estimates of overall income inequality. More generally, we assess whether the SPI adjustment is fit for purpose and consider whether variants of it could be employed by other countries.     

Gender and Age Differences in Socio‐economic Inequalities in Total and Avoidable Mortality in Portugal: A Trend Analysis*

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how socio‐economic inequalities in mortality (total and avoidable) evolved in Portugal from the 1990s onwards by looking at differences by gender, age group, poverty and cause of death. Results show that mortality in younger age groups is decreasing faster in the most deprived municipalities. Yet, avoidable deaths do not follow this pattern, particularly with respect to treatable mortality amenable to the health care services. Although total and avoidable mortality are decreasing across all age groups and both genders, decreases in treatable deaths during and after the 2011–14 economic crisis slowed down among the young, with a sharpening of socio‐economic inequalities in avoidable mortality among adults and the elderly. This provides evidence that, in some respects, focusing programmes on those living in poor circumstances has been successful over time. However, the impact of the Great Recession on health care services might have contributed to a significant increase in some treatable causes of death associated with these services.     

重视房地产持有环节税的作用 积极推进房地产税制改革

开征房地产持有环节税①是我国财政体制改革的一项重要内容。本文探讨了现阶段在我国开征房地产持有环节税可以实现的政策目标:构建地方税主体税种,完善分税制财政体制;调节居民收入分配和财富存量,缩小贫富差距;稳定房地产价格,促进房地产市场健康发展;促进节约利用土地资源,保护耕地红线;缓和购房压力,促进一般性消费增长,优化消费结构。     

英国社会保障制度调节国民收入再分配对我国的启示

改革开放以来,我国经济快速增长,但同时居民的收入差距也在持续拉大。社会保障制度作为除税收之外政府发挥再分配职能的重要手段,对缩小贫富差距具有很强的效果,但在我国社会保障调节收入差距的效果却很不理想。因此,本文通过分析英国如何通过社会保障政策有效的缩小贫富差距,以及我国和英国社会保障政策效果的对比分析,指出了我国存在的问题,并得出了相应的启示。     

Does convergence matter if it takes 100 years? Different scenarios of convergence

This paper attempts to show that the income gap between rich and poor countries cannot be eliminated with the current international policies. Different scenarios are discussed. It would take 130 years for the Congo, 203 years for Eritrea and 103 years for low-income countries to reach to the current average per capita income of Norway. To equalize the overall per capita income levels of high and low-income countries from now until the year 2020, the latter group would have to grow 20 percent. These values show that current economic policies are insufficient to create economic parity among the world's nations. To do so would require radical changes in current domestic and international economic policy.     

房价、城市规模与工资性收入差距——基于中国32个大中城市面板数据的实证检验

基于中国32个大中城市面板数据,拓展Matlack和Vigdor的模型,考量房价、城市规模与工资性收入差距之间的关系。结果表明：房价上涨会引起以基尼系数衡量的工资性收入差距缩小,但当城市规模处于较大水平时,房价上涨又会拉大工资性收入差距;城市规模扩大会显著缩小工资性收入差距,但当城市房价已处于较高水平时,城市规模的继续扩张则会拉大工资性收入差距。     

收入差距、社会保障与提升居民幸福感和获得感

中国经济增长存在“Easterlin悖论”。如何破解悖论,是当下学术研究重点关注的问题,也是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的核心要义。利用中国家庭综合调查数据,在Ordered Probit和OLS模型构建的基础上,阐述了收入差距、社会保障与居民幸福感和获得感提升之间相互影响的机理及机制。结果表明:收入差距与居民幸福感和获得感之间呈“倒U型”关系;社会保障在提升居民幸福感和获得感方面表现突出。通过机理分析可知,收入差距过大形成的不公平感降低了幸福感和获得感,而社会保障既能通过提高居民消费水平与健康水平来提升幸福感和获得感,也能够通过提高公平感来缓解收入差距给幸福感和获得感带来的负面影响。因此,维护收入分配的公平性,降低居民对社会风险的担忧程度,提升防范与应对风险的能力是提高居民幸福感和获得感的重要举措。     

Have ‘European’ and US GAAP measures of income and equity converged under IFRS? Evidence from European companies listed in the US

The EU's adoption of IFRS, combined with the SEC's removal of the US GAAP reconciliation requirement for non‐US registrants reporting under IFRS, signifies a major shift towards the acceptance of global standards. Based on 20‐F reconciliations provided by the population of US listed European companies filing IFRS‐based statements with the SEC in 2005, we examine whether ‘European’ and US GAAP measures of income and equity converged under IFRS. We find that during the period immediately preceding IFRS, for our sample companies, European and US GAAP measures are generally comparable in respect of income and equity. However, as an exception to the latter, we find that UK GAAP yielded significantly lower measures of equity than US GAAP For companies adopting IFRS for the first time in 2005, we find a significant gap between IFRS and US GAAP measures of income, thereby, signifying de facto divergence from US GAAP in regard to income determination. Furthermore, we find that, following IFRS adoption, significant differences with US GAAP equity persisted for companies that previously reported using UK GAAP. Our findings, thus, support critics’ claims that standard‐setters, most notably the IASB and FASB, have more work to do to achieve a sufficient degree of convergence between IFRS and US GAAP that will convince the SEC to require US companies to use IFRS.     

Non‐Fulfilment of Debt Limits in Spanish Municipalities

In decentralised European Monetary Union members such as Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany and Spain, the Stability and Growth Pact can only be implemented if there is close fiscal coordination among government tiers. Thus, limits on subcentral governments' debt are essential in this coordination. This paper analyses which political and socio‐economic factors influence compliance with debt limits. We use a database with information on Spanish municipalities with at least 1,000 inhabitants for 2001–08. Our results indicate that the non‐financial surplus limit is the requirement that is most commonly breached, followed by the net operating balance requisite. Population has a positive and significant impact on failure to comply with debt limits. In addition, we show a positive relationship between income level and global limit compliance. Finally, it can be stated that municipalities appear to manipulate debt with electoral purposes.     

数字金融发展是否存在马太效应？——贫困户与非贫困户的经验比较

数字普惠金融发展是否存在马太效应,贫困户和非贫困户之间的收入不平等是否会因此而加剧值得深入研究。基于中国劳动力动态调查和北京大学数字普惠金融指数,从数字金融的覆盖广度和使用深度来考察数字金融发展是否存在马太效应及其作用机制。结果表明:贫困户可借助数字金融平滑生存型消费和积累发展型要素,但效果并不显著,而非贫困户在有效利用数字金融功能防范风险、平滑消费、积累要素的同时,还能休闲娱乐,数字金融发展的马太效应明显;不同数字金融产品的马太效应具有显著差异,数字征信的效应最大,数字信贷、数字支付次之;数字金融发展对不同收入差距类型的影响具有显著异质性,对经营性收入差距的影响最为明显。本文为研究数字普惠金融提供了新的视角,可为未来数字金融缩小收入差距政策的制定提供有益参考。     

How Taxes and Welfare Benefits Affect Work Incentives: A Life‐Cycle Perspective

Personal taxes and benefits affect the incentive to work over the life cycle by altering income–age profiles, insuring against adverse shocks and changing the returns to human capital. In this paper, we show how a life‐cycle perspective alters our impression of how the UK tax and benefit system affects women's work incentives. Given that actual longitudinal data conflate age effects, cohort effects and policy effects, and, in the UK, are not available covering the full life cycle, we use simulated data produced by a rich, dynamic structural model of female labour supply and human capital that incorporates family formation and fertility. We find that individuals experience considerable variability in work incentives across life that outweighs the variability across individuals. Changes in the presence of children and a partner, as well as the level of any partner's earnings, are key to explaining these patterns: work incentives vary dramatically depending on family composition and the earnings of any partner, especially for the lower‐skilled, and most women experience a number of different family types during the course of their lives.