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26.03.2024 | News

TAPES in Helsinki on 12-14 June

Trans-Atlantic Public Economics Seminar TAPES: Tax and Transfer Systems is organised in Helsinki, Finland on 12 – 14 June 2024 by NBER and VATT.

The seminar is by invitation only.

More information on TAPES can be found on the NBER site.

Venue: Hotel Kämp, Mirror Room, Pohjoisesplanadi 29, Helsinki, Finland

A news article on TAPES on VATT site, published on 14th June 2024.

Programme

Wednesday, June 12

12:25 – Welcome: Hilary Hoynes & Tuomas Kosonen

12:30 – Session 1, Chair: Tuomas Kosonen, VATT Institute for Economic Research
Distributional Tax Analysis in Theory and Practice: Harberger Meets Diamond-Mirrlees
Emmanuel Saez, University of California, Berkeley and NBER
Co-author: Gabriel Zucman
Discussant: Joel Slemrod, University of Michigan and NBER

13:45 – Coffee break

14:00 – Session 2, Chair: Tuomas Matikka, VATT Institute for Economic Research
Taxing Wealth in the Presence of Liquidity Constraints: Evidence from France
Arthur Guillouzouic, Paris School of Economics and IPP
Co-authors: Laurent Bach, Clement Malgouyres
Discussant: Spencer Bastani, IFAU and Uppsala University

15:15
Taxing Top Wealth: Migration Responses and their Aggregate Economic Implications
Mathilde Muñoz, University of California, Berkeley and NBER
Co-authors: Katrine Jakobsen, Henrik Kleven, Jonas Kolsrud, Camille Landais
Discussant: Jukka Pirttilä, University of Helsinki and FIT

16:30 – Coffee break

17:00 – Keynote: Joel Slemrod, University of Michigan and NBER
None of Your Business: Some Thoughts on Tax Privacy

18:00 – Adjourn

A brief walk (500 m) to the restaurant

19:00 – Dinner at Restaurant Haven, Eteläranta 16, Helsinki

Thursday, June 13

8:30 – Coffee

09:00 – Session 3, Chair: Jukka Pirttilä, University of Helsinki and FIT
The Efficiency-Equity Tradeoff of the Corporate Income Tax: Evidence from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Patrick J. Kennedy, UCLA and NBER
Co-authors: Christine L. Dobridge, Paul Landefeld, Jacob Mortenson
Discussant: Andreas Peichl, University of Munich

10:15
Insuring Landlords
Antoine B. Levy, University of California, Berkeley
Co-authors: Thomas Bezy, Timothy McQuade
Discussant: Jarkko Harju, Tampere University and FIT

11:30 – Coffee break

12:00 – Keynote: Henrik Kleven, Princeton University and NBER
Equality of Opportunity vs Equality of Outcomes: A Theory of Optimal Predistribution

13:00 – Lunch

14:00 – Session 4, Chair: Hilary Hoynes, University of California, Berkeley and NBER
Studying a Sin Tax Scheme with Multiple Reforms
Tuomas Kosonen, VATT Institute for Economic Research
Co-authors: Sami Jysmä, Riikka Savolainen
Discussant: Emmanuel Saez, University of California, Berkeley and NBER

15:15 – Adjourn

16:00 – Walk to Kauppatori pier

16:20 – Water bus to Suomenlinna island

18:30 – Water bus to Lonna island

19:00 – Dinner at Restaurant Lonna

Friday, June 14

8:30 – Coffee

09:00 – Session 5, Chair: Kaisa Kotakorpi, Tampere University and FIT
Precautionary Liquidity and Worker Decisions in French Employee Saving Plans
James Poterba, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Co-authors: Marie Briere, Ariane Szafarz
Discussant: Mathilde Muñoz, University of California, Berkeley and NBER

10:15
Growing Up Over the Social Safety Net: The Effects of a Cash Transfer Program on the Transition to Adulthood
Matias Giaccobasso, VATT Institute for Economic Research and FIT
Discussant: Hilary W. Hoynes, University of California, Berkeley and NBER

11:30 – Lunch

12:00 – Session 6, Chair: Jarkko Harju, Tampere University and FIT
Forward-Looking Labor Supply Responses to Changes in Pension Wealth: Evidence from Germany
Giulia Giupponi, Bocconi University
Co-authors: Elisabeth Artmann, Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln
Discussant: Håkan Selin, IFAU

13:15
Lost in Information: National Implementation of Global Tax Agreements
Barbara Stage, WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management
Co-authors: Annette Alstadsæter, Elisa Casi-Eberhard, Jakob Miethe
Discussant: Kaisa Kotakorpi, Tampere University and FIT

14:30 – Adjourn

14:30 – Coffee


Arrival instructions

The seminar venue is 130-year old five-star-hotel Hotel Kämp. The address of the hotel is Pohjoisesplanadi 29, Helsinki.

You can get to the hotel by using public transport or a taxi. Here are some instructions on how to get to the venue from the airport or railway station.


By public transport

Helsinki Airport – Helsinki Central Railway station
You can get easily from Helsinki Airport to the city center by using the Helsinki regional trains I and P going in direction Helsinki. The trains leave every 10 minutes and the trip to the Central Railway Station takes about 30 minutes. The airport railway station is located right beneath the airport terminal and there is a straight escalator connection from the arrival and departure halls down to the railway station.

The HSL (Helsinki regional transport) ticket costs 4,10 € (choose zones ABC) and you can purchase your ticket at one of the ticket machines at the airport railway station. The ticket is valid for any bus, tram or train in the Helsinki region for 80 minutes after purchase.

Public transport is very reliable, safe and easy to use in Finland. You can find more information about the timetables and how to buy a ticket here: https://www.hsl.fi/en/travelling/visitors/airport-train


Helsinki Central Railway station – Hotel Kämp
The seminar venue Hotel Kämp (Pohjoisesplanadi 29) is within a short walking distance from the Helsinki Central railway station.

When you arrive at the Central Railway Station, walk outside through the main entrance and turn left. Walk 200 meters along Kaivokatu until you go past the Ateneum Art Museum, which will be on your right. Turn right onto Mikonkatu and walk straight for 400 meters until you reach Esplanade Park. Take a final left turn onto Pohjoisesplanadi, and you will see Hotel Kämp on your left. The total walk is about 600 meters.

The map above shows the location of Helsinki Central railway station as well as the key venues of the event: Hotel Kämp, Hobo Hotel, Restaurant Haven and Kauppatori pier.

By taxi

If you wish, you can take a taxi from the airport to the hotel. Taxi prices vary a lot, but the trip from Helsinki Airport to Hotel Kämp costs 50€ on average.


About the excursion

On Thursday afternoon there will be an excursion to Suomenlinna and Lonna islands. We will travel to Suomenlinna by water bus (15 min). The water bus to Suomenlinna leaves at 16:20 from the Market Square (Kauppatori), which is a 10 min walk away from the hotel. In Suomenlinna there will be some coffee and sandwiches as well as a guided walking tour. We recommend wearing good shoes for the trip.

We will leave Suomenlinna with a water bus leaving from the Kings’ Gate pier (Kuninkaanportin laituri) at 18:45. On the ride back, we will get off at a small island called Lonna for dinner.

From Lonna, you can get back to the hotel by water bus. The water buses leave once in an hour (20:45 / 21:45 / 22:45 / 23:45) and the last water bus from the island leaves at 00:30.


Background about Suomenlinna and Lonna

Suomenlinna (also known as Sveaborg) is a sea fortress composed of eight islands. It is also one of Helsinki’s districts with about 800 residents.

The fortification work of Suomenlinna began in 1748 by the Swedish crown as protection against Russian expansionism. As Russia invaded Finland in 1809, Suomenlinna became a military base under Russian administration. After Finland was declared an independent nation in 1917, Suomenlinna became a Finnish garrison. The Defence Forces vacated the fortress in the 1970s and nowadays Suomenlinna is in residential use.

Suomenlinna has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991 and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Finland. It is a beautiful place with stunning scenery, fascinating history and many interesting sights. You can find more information about Suomenlinna here: https://www.suomenlinna.fi/en/


Lonna is a small island located between Suomenlinna and Helsinki’s Market Square. During the Russian era Lonna was called the negotiation island, because Sweden and Russia negotiated the surrender of the fortress here at the end of the Finnish War in 1808-1809. Lonna was later used as a base for storing and clearing mines.

Since 2014 Lonna has been open to everyone as a haven from the hustle of city life. The island has a public sauna and a popular restaurant as well as a cozy coffee shop & bar.

If you are interested, you can read more about Lonna here: https://www.lonna.fi/en/

Image of Suomenlinna
Suomenlinna Midsummer / Juha Kalaoja / Visit Finland
Image of sauna in Lonna
Sauna in Lonna / Julia Kivelä / Visit Finland

To do in Helsinki

We recommend you to have a look at the My Helsinki-website for ideas on what to do in Helsinki. On their website you can find good information about sights, events, activities and restaurants in Helsinki.

If you wish to experience the Finnish sauna during your stay in Helsinki, we recommend you to visit either Löyly or Allas Sea Pool. Both are nice and popular saunas located in the city centre of Helsinki by the seaside and they are easily accessible by foot or public transport from Hobo Hotel. We recommend you to book your tickets for the sauna beforehand online.

Löyly has three saunas; a smokesauna and two other wood-heated saunas. From the saunas there is a straight access to an outdoor space and the sea, where you can take a refreshing swim. You can book your tickets and find more information about Löyly here: https://www.loylyhelsinki.fi/en

Allas Sea Pool has five saunas as well as two heated pools where you can take a swim before or after going to the sauna. You can book you tickets in advance and find more information about Allas Sea Pool here: https://allasseapool.fi/?lang=en


Organisers and funding

Seminar organisers are Hilary W. Hoynes and Tuomas Kosonen.

The seminar is co-sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), VATT Institute for Economic Research (VATT) and Finnish Centre of Excellence in Tax Systems Research with an additional support from the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation and Palkansaajasäätiö

The latest updates on the programme can be found on the NBERs site: Trans-Atlantic Public Economics Seminar: Tax and Transfer Systems, Spring 2024 | NBER

Hotel reservations

Invited speakers’ accommodation is arranged and covered by organisers. Please contact Brett Maranjian maranjian@nber.org for details.

The other participants (e.g. co-authors of the seminar papers) covering their own expenses are advised to make their own bookings at Hotel Hobo where most of the seminar participants are accommodated. Hotel Hobo is in immediate vicinity of Hotel Kämp. The address is Kluuvikatu 4, Helsinki.

Fun facts about Finland

  • During the conference, the days are almost at their longest in Finland. In Helsinki, the sun won’t set until 22:45 and rises already at 3:55. In northern Finland the sun won’t set at all for 2,5 months and the sun shines all night.
  • Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in Finland. It is among the highest quality in the world and in fact even cleaner than bottled water.
  • Public transport is very safe, reliable and inexpensive in Finland. In Helsinki there are good tram, bus, metro, and train connections everywhere in the city and with a HSL (Helsinki regional transport) ticket you can use any of these vehicles. Please note that you have to buy your ticket in advance because tickets are not sold on board.
  • Some shops, restaurants and HSL ticket machines do not accept cash and only take card payments. In general, most payments are made by card. All major credit cards are accepted in Finland, but some merchants do not accept American Express. ATM machines are called “OTTO” and accept most international ATM and credit cards.
  • Tipping is not expected in restaurants, taxis, or other services. The service charge is already included in the price. However, tipping is not forbidden, and some Finns like to tip if the service or food is particularly good.

Contact information

Tuomas Kosonen, tuomas.kosonen@vatt.fi, tel. +358 295 519 440 (Host, organiser)
Marjukka Hourunranta, marjukka.hourunranta@tuni.fi, tel. +358 50 470 5645 (Emergency contact, administrative matters)
Rebecca Lakkonen, rebecca.lakkonen@tuni.fi, tel. +358 50 598 7198 (Emergency contact, practical arrangements)
Aino Linnunsalo, aino.linnunsalo@tuni.fi, tel. +358 50 475 6134 (Excursion arrangements)
Hotel Kämp: tel. +358 (0)9 576 111 (Venue)
Hotel Hobo: tel. +358 50 545 3070 (Accommodation)



Photo: Lauri Rotko / Helsinki Marketing / Visit Finland