Income redistribution and the state’s fiscal system
Income redistribution and the state’s fiscal system

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article was to classify the OECD countries in fiscal models, based on the criterion of the structure of tax revenues and public spending, and to compare them in terms of the scope of redistribution created by means of taxation and social transfers and the level of income inequality. The analysis was conducted on a group of 30 OECD countries using data from the OECD database from 2004–2017. The classification was made using a cluster analysis using the Ward method. In the course of the study, seven fiscal models were distinguished, in which countries were characterized by a similar share of individual categories of tax revenues and public expenditure. Comparative analysis of fiscal models showed the occurrence of a relationship between the structure of tax revenues and public expenditure, and the level of income inequalities and the scope of redistribution, measured using the Redistribution Index. Compared to other models, models with a high share of social expenditure in the structure of public spending obtained a higher Redistributive Index. The use of various types of social transfers, financed not only by social security contributions, but also by taxes, has significant redistributive significance. The study also revealed the impact of the structure public expenditure on the level of income inequality. Fiscal models with a high share of allocation expenditures were characterized by a low level of income inequalities. The analysis did not confirm the assumption of a higher scale of redistribution in countries with a high level of income inequality.

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