Publication
The Korean Journal of Economic Studies
The Effects of Population Aging on Tax-Benefit Structure
Hye Mi You (Hanyang University)Year 2024Vol. 72No. 2
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of population ageing on Korean tax-benefit
structure. This paper estimates a simple net tax function using National Survey
of Tax and Benefit (NaSTaB), controlling for changes in the household head’s
age structure. We find that the progressivity of the net tax function more than
doubled between 2007 and 2019, while about 30% of the change accounted for
by population ageing. The effect of population ageing on the progressivity is
mainly through government transfers. We also find that population ageing
explains about 40% of the rise in the estimated income redistribution effect of
Korean tax-benefit structure.