Evolution of fiscal systems: convergence or divergence?

Abstract

Abstract We analyze the convergence or divergence of the diversity of fiscal systems after the financial crisis of 2007. Studying twenty-nine countries, we first document the evolution of the taxation of households, firms, labor, consumption, and capital. We identify three types of fiscal systems: liberal, intermediate, and high-redistribution, which can be ranked in ascending order of tax rates, confirming known typologies in the diversity of capitalism literature. Only the tax rate on corporate profits shows signs of downward convergence over the period. The other tax rates show rather signs of divergence. Second, a divergence is observed among the liberal and high-redistribution groups over the period. The European countries are converging toward the high-redistribution model, with the exception of Great Britain, which is moving toward the liberal model. Thus, the financial crisis seems to contribute not to the convergence, but to the divergence of fiscal systems.