Tax policy often trades off efficiency and equity. That is, many tax reform proposals that improve efficiency have the effect of reducing vertical equity. Explain how both of the following improve efficiency but reduce vertical equity.
a. A flat tax
b. Ramsey-rule commodity taxation
Vertical equity should lead to payment of more tax by people who earn more.
A. In flat tax rate system there are no slabs so everyone pays same tax relatively. One who earns say 10,000 income only pays tax @x% and other who earn say 1000 times more will also pay tax @x% in flat tax system.
So it reduces the vertical equity although increases efficiency as it is easy to calculate.
B. In Ramsey-rule commodity taxation, Taxes are charged on commodity rather than income earned. So anyone who buys a particular comodity will pay same tax as anyone else ignoring the income they earn. So this also reduces vertical equity system.
Hope this meets your purpose.
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