How much revenue would a 70% top tax rate actually raise?
Core argument: A 70% tax rate on income above $10m would raise $16.3bn in 2019 under static estimates, but behavioral responses such as income shifting and tax planning cut that gain by 27.8%–66.8% depending on the elasticity of taxable income.
Applying a 70% tax rate on income over $10m could initially seem to generate significant revenue, with static estimates suggesting an increase of $16.3bn in 2019. However, accounting for behavioral responses, such as income shifting and tax planning, reduces this gain by 27.8% to 66.8%, depending on the elasticity of taxable income (ETI). For high-income individuals, ETI is notably higher, leading to a potential revenue increase of only $5.4bn. Over 2019-2027, cumulative revenue gains could range from $212.9bn with no behavioral response to $74.7bn with a high ETI. This highlights the complexity of relying on high tax rates for revenue, as behavioral adaptations can significantly erode expected gains, making such a tax policy less effective economically despite its political appeal.




Jon Hartley Comment:You're right that Austin isn't all that great of a story from a gross wages/income standpoint (even if these were to be adjusted for taxes and rent, I'm sure that SF still looks better; that being said, Austin has now overtaken Dallas and Houston which have similar rent/tax regimes)