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Private Pensions and the Gender Distribution of Fiscal Welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2020

Micheál L. Collins
Micheál L. Collins*
Affiliation:
School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin, E-mail: ml.collins@ucd.ie
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Abstract

The provision of taxation relief to support pension savings has become a large and expensive aspect of the welfare state in many countries. Among OECD member states this exceeds $200 billion in revenue forgone each year. Previous research has consistently found this fiscal welfare to have pronounced regressive distributive outcomes. However, little is known about the gendered impact of these fiscal welfare supports, a void this article addresses. Using data for Ireland the article finds that the current structure of fiscal welfare supports notably favours males over females. Nominal contribution levels are higher among males, and males are more likely to be active contributors to pension savings. The associated tax supports are consequently skewed, with two-thirds received by men and one-third by women. This outcome suggests a continuation of the gender earnings gap into retirement and a discontinuity between longevity expectations and tax policy supports for pension provision.

Keywords

Taxationpensionsfiscal welfaregenderinequalities
Type
Themed Section: Taxation and Social Policy
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 19 , Issue 3 , July 2020 , pp. 500 - 516
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2020

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