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Household Incomes in Tax Data: Using Addresses to Move from Tax-Unit to Household Income Distributions

Author

Listed:
  • Jeff Larrimore
  • Jacob Mortenson
  • David Splinter

Abstract

A limitation of tax return data is the inability to identify members of separate tax units living in the same household. We overcome this obstacle and present the first set of entirely tax-based household income and inequality measures. We find using tax units as a proxy for households overstates household income inequality, as measured by Gini coefficients, by 13 percent. Consistent with previous findings, we also estimate that the CPS understates household income inequality by 5 percent. Compared to conventional tax-unit measures, the federal income tax code and earned income tax credit are less progressive when measured at the household level.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeff Larrimore & Jacob Mortenson & David Splinter, 2021. "Household Incomes in Tax Data: Using Addresses to Move from Tax-Unit to Household Income Distributions," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 56(2), pages 600-631.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:56:y:2021:i:2:p:600-631
    Note: DOI: 10.3368/jhr.56.2.0718-9647R1
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeff Larrimore & Jake Mortenson & David Splinter, 2020. "Presence and Persistence of Poverty in US Tax Data," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring Distribution and Mobility of Income and Wealth, pages 383-409, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Lukas Riedel & Holger Stichnoth, 2024. "Government consumption in the DINA framework: allocation methods and consequences for post-tax income inequality," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 31(3), pages 736-779, June.
    3. Jesse Bricker & Peter Hansen & Alice Henriques Volz, 2018. "How Much has Wealth Concentration Grown in the United States? A Re-Examination of Data from 2001-2013," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2018-024, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. Gerald Auten & David Splinter, 2019. "Top 1 Percent Income Shares: Comparing Estimates Using Tax Data," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 109, pages 307-311, May.
    5. David Splinter & Jeff Larrimore & Jacob Mortenson, 2017. "Whose Child Is This? Shifting of Dependents among EITC Claimants within the Same Household," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 70(4), pages 737-758, December.
    6. Yonatan Berman, 2022. "Absolute intragenerational mobility in the United States, 1962–2014," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 20(3), pages 587-609, September.
    7. Bengtsson, Erik & Molinder, Jakob, 2024. "Incomes and income inequality in Stockholm, 1870–1970: Evidence from micro data," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. Maggie R. Jones & Adam Bee & Amanda Eng & Kendall Houghton & Nikolas Pharris-Ciurej & Sonya R. Porter & Jonathan Rothbaum & John Voorheis, 2024. "Mobility, Opportunity, and Volatility Statistics (MOVS): Infrastructure Files and Public Use Data," Working Papers 24-23, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    9. Jenkins, Stephen P., 2022. "Getting the Measure of Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 14996, IZA Network @ LISER.
    10. Adam Bee & Joshua Mitchell & Nikolas Mittag & Jonathan Rothbaum & Carl Sanders & Lawrence Schmidt & Matthew Unrath, 2023. "National Experimental Wellbeing Statistics - Version 1," Working Papers 23-04, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    11. Jeff Larrimore & Jacob Mortenson & David Splinter, 2023. "Unemployment Insurance In Survey And Administrative Data," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 571-579, March.
    12. Samuel Dodini, 2023. "Insurance Subsidies, the Affordable Care Act, and Financial Stability," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(1), pages 97-136, January.
    13. Richard V. Burkhauser & Nicolas Hérault & Stephen P. Jenkins & Roger Wilkins, 2018. "Survey Under‐Coverage of Top Incomes and Estimation of Inequality: What is the Role of the UK's SPI Adjustment?," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(2), pages 213-240, June.
    14. Carlos A. Piccioni & Saulo B. Bastos & Daniel O. Cajueiro, 2024. "Measuring Inequality Using Electronic Payment Data," Working Papers Series 608, Central Bank of Brazil, Research Department.
    15. Larrimore, Jeff & Mortenson, Jacob & Splinter, David, 2022. "Earnings shocks and stabilization during COVID-19," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    16. Paul Fisher & Omar Hussein, 2023. "Understanding Society: the income data," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 377-397, December.
    17. P. Jenkins, Stephen & Hérault, Nicolas & V. Burkhauser, Richard & Wilkins, Roger, 2017. "Survey under-coverage of top incomes and estimation of inequality: what is the role of the UK’s SPI adjustment?," ISER Working Paper Series 2017-08, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    18. Yogo, Motohiro & Whitten, Andrew & Cox, Natalie, 2025. "Financial Inclusion Across the United States," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    19. Iselin, John & Mackay, Taylor & Unrath, Matthew, 2023. "Measuring take-up of the California EITC with state administrative data," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    20. Jeff Larrimore & Richard V. Burkhauser & Gerald Auten & Philip Armour, 2016. "Recent Trends in U.S. Top Income Shares in Tax Record Data Using More Comprehensive Measures of Income Including Accrued Capital Gains," NBER Working Papers 23007, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies

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