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The Compliance Cost of the U.S. Individual Income Tax System

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Author Info
Joel Slemrod
Nikki Sorum

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Abstract

This paper uses evidence from a survey of Minnesota taxpayers to estimate the magnitude and demographic patterns of the compliance cost of filing federal and state income tax returns. It concludes that in 1982 this cost was between $17 and $27 billion, or from five to seven percent of the revenue raised by the federal and state income tax systems combined. About two billion hours of taxpayer time were spent on filing tax returns, and about $3 billion was spent on professional tax assistance.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 1401.

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Date of creation: Jun 1985
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:1401

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  1. William G. Gale & Joel B. Slemrod, 2001. "Rethinking the Estate and Gift Tax: Overview," NBER Working Papers 8205, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Dynarski, Susan & Scott-Clayton, Judith, 2008. "Complexity and Targeting in Federal Student Aid: A Quantitative Analysis," Working Paper Series rwp08-005, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Das-Gupta, Arindam, 2004. "Compliance cost of the personal income tax in India, 2000-01: Preliminary estimates," Working Papers 04/9, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. [Downloadable!]
  4. Don Fullerton, 1994. "Inputs to Tax Policymaking: The Supply Side, the Deficit, and the Level Playing Field," NBER Working Papers 3507, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Evy Crals & Lode Vereeck, 2005. "Taxes, Tradable Rights and Transaction Costs," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 199-223, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Torgler, Benno & Demir, Ihsan C. & Macintyre, Alison & Schaffner, Markus, 2008. "Causes and Consequences of Tax Morale: An Empirical Investigation," Economic Analysis and Policy (EAP), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Economics and Finance, vol. 38(2), pages 313-339, September. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Dynarski, Susan & Scott-Clayton, Judith, 2006. "The Cost of Complexity in Federal Student Aid: Lessons from Optimal Tax Theory and Behavioral Economics," Working Paper Series rwp06-013, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Joel Slemrod, 1991. "Optimal Taxation and Optimal Tax Systems," NBER Working Papers 3038, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  9. Glenn Jenkins & EDWIN FORLEMU, 1993. "Enhancing Voluntary Compliance By Reducing Compliance Costs: A Taxpayer Service Approach," Development Discussion Papers 1993-4, JDI Executive Programs. [Downloadable!]
  10. Vaillancourt, F., 1986. "The Compliance Costs of Taxes on Businesses and Individuals a Review of the Evidence," Cahiers de recherche 8655, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques. [Downloadable!]
  11. Louis Kaplow, 1996. "How Tax Complexity and Enforcement Affect the Equity and Efficiency of The Income Tax," NBER Working Papers 5391, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. repec:mop:credwp:01.06.22 is not listed on IDEAS
  13. Joel Slemrod, 1985. "The Return to Tax Simplification: An Econometric Analysis," NBER Working Papers 1756, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Pablo Serra, 2000. "Measuring the Performance of Chile's Tax Administration," Documentos de Trabajo 77, Centro de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Chile. [Downloadable!]
  15. Edgar L. Feige, 2001. "Taxation for the 21st Century: The Automated Payment Transaction (APT) Tax," Public Economics 0106001, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
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  16. Dubin, Jeffrey A. & Kalsow, Gretchen A. & Udell, Michael A., 1998. "Tax Return Preparers and Tax Evasion," Working Papers 1031, California Institute of Technology, Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences. [Downloadable!]
  17. Pablo Serra, 1998. "El Sistema Impositivo y su Efecto en el Funcionamiento de la Economía: Una Revisión de la Literatura," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 39, Central Bank of Chile. [Downloadable!]
  18. Joel Slemrod, 1986. "The Impact of Tax Reform on Households," NBER Working Papers 1765, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Klara Sabirianova Peter & Steve Buttrick & Denvil Duncan, 2007. "Global Reform of Personal Income Taxation, 1981-2005: Evidence from 189 Countries," International Studies Program Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper0721, International Studies Program, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  20. Manfred Rose & Michael Robert Rimmler & Marko Thomas Scholz & Daniel Zöller, 2007. "Kosten der Erhebung von Unternehmenssteuern in Deutschland," Working Papers 0459, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics, revised Nov 2007. [Downloadable!]
  21. Carol Bertaut & Martha Starr-McCluer, 2000. "Household portfolios in the United States," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2000-26, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  22. Don Fullerton, 1996. "Why Have Separate Environmental Taxes?," NBER Working Papers 5380, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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