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Journal of Economic Literature: Vol. 50 No. 3 (September 2012)

JEL Volume. 50, Issue 3 | Previous ArticleNext Article

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The Mirrlees Review

Article Citation

Feldstein, Martin. 2012. "The Mirrlees Review." Journal of Economic Literature, 50(3): 781-90.

DOI: 10.1257/jel.50.3.781

Abstract

The Mirrlees Review is an ambitious and comprehensive analysis of the British tax system with detailed recommendations for reform. This review essay focuses on those issues that are also likely to be of interest to an American reader. The Review has the technical sophistication that readers would expect from a team of ten economists, chaired by James Mirrlees, the distinguished theorist who received the Nobel Prize for his contributions to the theory of optimal taxation. But it is written for a broader audience, explaining concepts like deadweight loss and the elasticity of tax revenue with respect to tax rates and doing so without any mathematics. (JEL D64, E21, E62, H24, H25)

Article Full-Text Access

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Authors

Feldstein, Martin (Harvard U)

JEL Classifications

D64: Altruism; Philanthropy
E21: Macroeconomics: Consumption; Saving; Wealth
E62: Fiscal Policy
H24: Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies; includes inheritance and gift taxes
H25: Business Taxes and Subsidies including sales and value-added (VAT)