Interstate commodity tax differentials and the distribution of residents

Abstract

This paper considers the manner in which an unequal distribution of consumers affects the commodity tax policies of neighboring jurisdictions. The paper uses a spatial model in which the residents of two states are distributed non-uniformly and employs a variety of assumptions about the behavior of governments and firms. Throughout, the paper shows that, at a Nash equilibrium in tax levels, the sparsely-populated state imposes a lower tax than does its densely-populated neighbor. The paper also demonstrates how equilibrium state taxes differ depending on whether firms employ marginal-cost or profit-maximizing pricing.