The optimal taxation of fiat money in search equilibrium.

This paper investigates the link between welfare and the taxation of money in the context of a general equilibrium search model where decentralized trading motivates the use of fiat money. Since buyers with money must invest effort or search intensity to contact sellers with goods, a natural trading externality arises. Given a sufficiently productive economy, search efforts will be too low relative to social efficiency. This provides a welfare improving role for policies which tax money balances. The nature of this role is explored and its implications for optimal monetary policy discussed.

Main Author:	Li, Victor.
Language:	English
Published:	1995
Online Access:	http://ezproxy.villanova.edu/login?url=https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:178058