An increase in the tax rate on capital income may raise the rate of ec
onomic growth when the elasticity of intertemporal substitution is low
and intergenerational transfers are absent. Since the strength of the
bequest motive depends on tax rates, this paper provides conditions u
nder which taxing capital income, and then reducing the labour income
tax, is more growth enhancing than the classical policy of zero taxes
on capital income, and vice versa.