Fiscal Incentive Effects of the Australian Equalisation System

Abstract

Equalisation grants can affect a state's fiscal behaviour because its tax policies can affect the size of its grant. For a large state, an increase in its tax rate will increase the standard tax rate used to calculate the grant for that base and thereby reduce (increase) the state's grant if it has a high (low) relative fiscal capacity with respect to that base. In addition, a state's grant will increase if its relative fiscal capacity declines when it raises its tax rates. Our econometric results indicate that the equalisation system may have affected the Australian states’ choice of tax rates.