The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Shocks in Iran: A Hybrid Idetification Approach for SVAR Model with Emphasis of the Effects Timing

Due to the importance of varying degrees of disturtion of different tax bases, the need to identify and prioritize different tax bases in Influencing macroeconomic variables is essential.Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of (direct) and (indirect) tax shocks on macroeconomic variables (GDP and inflation rate) in the Iranian economy using quarterly data over the period 2004-2017. For this purpose, the Structural Vector Regression (SVAR) model based on Blanchard and Protti's (2002) has been used. In this study, it is necessary to use quarterly data due to tax collection lag with annual data which makes the calculated elasticities different. In order to determine the elasticities using Giverno's (1995) method, first the direct and indirect tax elasticities of production are calculated and then from the constraints obtained as an instrumental variable in the Direct and indirect tax elasticity estimation on production and inflation. After determining the constraints and residuals of the VAR reduced form, structural impulses of tax policies were identified and then impulse-response functions were extract. The results of the Impulse Response Functions show that direct and indirect tax shocks have different effects on the macroeconomic variables of GDP and inflation. Based on the results and the analysis of the the Impulse Response Function, it can be said that the positive Shock on direct taxes reduces the level of production and the level of inflation. On the other hand, the positive Shock on indirect taxes does not have a significant effect on the level of production and the level of inflation.