Taxation of income in “male” and “female” societies – is there a relationship between taxation, women’s welfare and cultural patterns in OECD countries?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15584/nsawg.2023.4.3Keywords:
personal income tax, social security contributions, women’s welfare, gender inequalities, cultural patternsAbstract
The article proposes the inclusion of cultural conditions in explaining differences in the structure and progressivity of income taxation and the socio-economic welfare of women in OECD countries. A connection was identified between the structure of income taxation and its progressivity, the socioeconomic well-being of women, and gender inequalities, determined by cultural conditions. Based on Hofstede’s cultural dimension classification, OECD countries were divided into seven clusters. The model characterized by a low power distance index, moderate individualism, the highest level of femininity, low uncertainty avoidance, relatively low long-term orientation, and strong indulgence showed the highest level of women’s welfare and the lowest gender disparities. It was revealed that a higher level of power distance, masculinity, restraint, and uncertainty avoidance is associated with lower welfare and a higher gender inequality, and in the case of variables characterizing income taxation, a lower fiscal importance of PIT, and higher social security contributions. It has been shown that countries with higher women’s welfare and lower economic and social gender inequalities are characterized by the higher fiscal importance of PIT as opposed to social security contributions due to higher PIT rates in both income groups, a lower degree of progression in PIT, and a lower tax wedge. The results provide evidence that egalitarian societies with higher levels of women’s welfare and lower gender disparities preferred higher personal income taxation, with lower progressivity compared to the burden of social security contributions to income.
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