Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
This paper analyzes how traditional estimates of the elasticity of taxable income among top executives are influenced by the possibility of income deferral. We study the intertemporal shifting of executive compensation in response to changes in personal, corporate, and capital gains tax rates over the period 1992–2005. We separate the elasticity of taxable income into real and income-shifting responses. Most of the elasticity is due to an income-shifting (rather than a real) response. Understanding income shifting provides insight into the revenue and welfare implications of tax policy.