"Local Sales Taxes as a Means of Increasing Revenues and Reducing Property Tax Burdens: An Analysis Using Propensity Score Matching‏

Only the abstract is available without charge.

<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2446308>

Yet, a local sales tax is one possible good way to reduce property taxes, at least according to the research.

Dwight

"Local Sales Taxes as a Means of Increasing Revenues and Reducing Property Tax Burdens: An Analysis Using Propensity Score Matching"   Public Budgeting & Finance, Vol. 34, Issue 2, pp. 24-43, 2014

WHITNEY AFONSO, University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill - School of Government, University of Georgia - Department of Public Administration and Policy
  Email: w.b.afonso@gmail.com

In keeping with previous literature, local option sales taxes (LOSTs) are shown to reduce property tax burdens as well as increase own source revenue, although the magnitude is larger than previously estimated. This article advances the literature by using more sophisticated econometric techniques to minimize self‐selection bias concerns. It also addresses some of the lingering questions from previous studies. Using county data from 35 states over the time period of 1983–2004, counties with LOSTs are matched to counties that have the same estimated propensity to adopt a LOST but are precluded by their states from doing so.