Indirect Taxes & Subsidies

The Impact of Indirect Taxes

Indirect taxes are taxes on consumption. The more inelastic demand is, the more of an indirect tax is passed on to consumers. Imposing a tax on a good, shifts the market equilibrium to Point A. At point A, there is a lower quantity of output and a higher price.

Burden of a tax

When a tax is imposed, the producer may pass on some of this cost to the consumer in the form of a higher price (grey area on the diagram) and absorb the rest (red area).
The proportion of the tax passed onto the consumer depends on the elasticity of demand. The more inelastic the demand, the more of a tax is passed on and less 'absorbed'.
E.g. demand for cigarettes is inelastic, producers would pass more of the tax onto consumers, knowing that demand won't decrease much.

Impact of indirect taxes on governments

Indirect taxes generate revenues for governments. These revenues can then be spent on capital investment (e.g hospitals for the NHS) or transfer (or welfare) payments.
If demand is perfectly inelastic, the quantity consumed won't change and tax revenues will increase. However, the burden of a tax would fall completely on consumers. If this was a market made up of mainly poor consumers, then this may not be a good intervention for the government. However, this would need a value judgment.

Impact of indirect taxes on consumers

If demand was perfectly inelastic, then the demand curve would be vertical.
The quantity demanded would not change but the price paid would rise.
The burden of the tax would fall completely on the consumer.
If demand was perfectly elastic (horizontal demand curve), then the burden would fall completely on the producer.

Impact of indirect taxes on producers

If demand is inelastic, then consumers bear the whole burden of an indirect tax.
If demand is elastic, then producers bear the whole burden of an indirect tax.

Subsidies

Subsidies can correct market failure by encouraging the consumption and production of a good with positive externalities. Governments can pay subsidies to encourage the production and consumption of goods.

Subsidies

Examples of subsidies

The employment of apprentices (labour as a factor of production) can be subsidised by a government.
A food subsidy was implemented in India to help encourage the production of affordable food in India.

The impact of a subsidy

A subsidy will shift the supply curve rightwards. The quantity produced will increase and the price paid by consumers will fall.
Consumers will pay 'Price _1+subsidy', but a supplier will be paid a 'Price ₂'.
The subsidy payment is the size of the rectangle. The size of the rectangle is equal to the size of the subsidy per unit X total output in the market.

Impact of subsidies on consumer and producer surplus

Consumers: Consumer surplus rises as the price that consumers pay has fallen and output has risen.
Producers: Producer surplus rises because the price consumers pay + subsidy is higher than the price at the previous market equilibrium.
Governments: Producer surplus and consumer surplus rise. However, the government must pay the size of the per unit subsidy X total output. Governments must pay for subsidies using tax revenues or government borrowing.

Subsidising positive consumption externalities

A consumption subsidy will try to cut the price paid by consumers to p_o to increase consumption.

Subsidising positive production externalities

A subsidy will aim to shift the supply curve rightwards to the MSC curve.

1Microeconomics

1.1Competitive Markets: Demand & Suply

1.1.1Markets & Demand

1.1.2Diminishing Marginal Returns

1.1.3Supply

1.1.4Market Equilibrium

1.1.5Price Mechanism

1.1.6Consumer & Producer Surplus

1.1.7IB Multiple Choice - Demand

1.1.8IB Multiple Choice - Supply

1.2Elasticity

1.2.1Elasticities of Demand

1.2.2Factors Affecting Price Elasticity of Demand

1.2.3Elasticity of Supply

1.2.4Price Elasticity of Supply

1.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Price Elasticity of Demand

1.2.6IB Multiple Choice - Price Elasticity of Supply

1.2.7IB Multiple Choice - Other Elasticities

1.3Government Intervention

1.3.1Indirect Taxes & Subsidies

1.3.2Application Question - Taxing Prices or Quantities

1.3.3Subsidies & Price Controls

1.3.4Deadweight Loss & Government Intervention

1.3.5Elasticity & Tax Incidence

1.3.6IB Multiple Choice - Government Intervention

1.4Market Failure

1.4.1Types of Market Failure

1.4.2Introduction to Externalities

1.4.3Negative Externalities

1.4.4Policy for Negative Externalities

1.4.5Positive Externalities

1.4.6The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities

1.4.7Case Study - The Externalities of Education

1.4.8Public Goods & the Free-Rider Problem

1.4.9Asymmetric Information

1.4.10End of Topic Test - Market Failure

1.4.11Application Questions - Market Failure

1.5HL: Theory of the Firm & Market Structures

1.5.1Theory of the Firm & Market Structures

2Macroeconomics

2.1The Level of Overall Economic Activity

2.1.1The Circular Flow of Income

2.1.2Defining GDP

2.1.3Limitations of GDP

2.1.4IB Multiple Choice - Economic Indicators

2.1.5Business Cycles

2.1.6Output Gaps

2.2Aggregate Demand & Aggregate Supply

2.2.1The Aggregate Demand Curve

2.2.2Components of Aggregate Demand

2.2.3Shape of the Aggregate Demand Curve

2.2.4Shifts in Aggregate Demand

2.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Aggregate Demand

2.2.6Short & Long-Run Aggregate Supply

2.2.7Alternative Models of LRAS

2.2.8Equilibrium in the AD-AS Model

2.2.9Output Gaps & the AD-AS Model

2.3Macroeconomic Objectives

2.3.1Introduction to Unemployment

2.3.2Limitations of Unemployment

2.3.3Types of Unemployment

2.3.4Causes & Impact of Unemployment

2.3.5Defining Inflation

2.3.6Measuring Inflation

2.3.7Use of Index Numbers

2.3.8The Consumer Price Index

2.3.9Consequences of Inflation

2.3.10Causes of Inflation

2.3.11Inflation & Unemployment Tradeoff

2.3.12The Short-Run Phillips Curve

2.3.13The Long-Run Phillips Curve

2.4Economic Growth, Poverty & Inequality

2.4.1Measuring Economic Growth

2.4.2Determinants of Productivity

2.4.3Economic Growth & Productivity

2.4.4Absolute & Relative Poverty

2.4.5Inequality

2.4.6Inequality 2

2.4.7Lorenz Curve

2.4.8Government Policy on Poverty

2.4.9End of Topic Test - Poverty & Inequality

2.4.10Application - Inequality & Poverty

2.5Fiscal Policy

2.5.1Introduction to Fiscal Policy

2.5.2Fiscal Policy and AD-AS Model

2.5.3Fiscal Policy Lags

2.5.4Automatic Stabilizers

2.5.5IB Multiple Choice - Fiscal Policy

2.6Monetary Policy

2.6.1Objectives of Monetary Policy

2.6.2Monetary Policy Implementation

2.6.3Monetary Policy & AD-AS Model

2.6.4Monetary Policy Lags & Pitfalls

2.7Supply-Side Policies

2.7.1Supply-Side Policies

2.7.2Supply-Side Policies 2

3The Global Economy

3.1International Trade

3.1.1Globalisation

3.1.2Globalisation for LEDCs

3.1.3Globalisation for MEDCs

3.1.4Comparative Advantage & Trade

3.1.5Protectionism

3.1.6Arguments for Protectionism

3.1.7Arguments Against Protectionism

3.1.8End of Topic Test - Globalisation & Trade

3.1.9Case Study - Globalisation & Trade

3.2Exchange Rates

3.2.1Floating Exchange Rates

3.2.2Fixed Exchange Rate

3.2.3Effect of a Stronger & Weaker Dollar

3.3The Balance of Payments

3.3.1Balance of Payments

3.3.2Balance of Payments 2

3.3.3FDI & Reducing a BoP Deficit

3.4Economic Integration

3.4.1Customs Unions & WTO

3.4.2Merged Currency

3.5Terms of Trade

3.5.1Absolute & Comparative Advantage

3.5.2Gains from Trade

3.5.3Terms of Trade

3.5.4IB Multiple Choice - Comparative Advantage & Trade

3.6Economic Development

3.6.1Factors Influencing Growth & Development

3.6.2International Institutions

3.6.3Measures of Development

3.6.4Barriers to Development

3.6.5Case Study - The Bottom Billion

3.6.6End of Topic Test - Emerging & Developing

3.7The Role of Domestic & International Factors

3.7.1Interventionist Strategies

3.7.2Development Strategies

3.7.3Development Promotion Policies

3.7.4End of Topic Test - Growth & Global Development

3.7.5Application Questions -Growth & Global Development

3.8The Role of International Trade

3.8.1International Institutions

3.8.2End of Topic Test - Globalisation & Trade

3.9The Role of Foreign Aid

3.9.1Aid

3.9.2Limitations of Aid

3.9.3Support for Aid

3.9.4Application Questions - Developing Countries

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