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Tax Filing and Take-Up: Experimental Evidence on Tax Preparation Outreach and EITC Participation

Author

Listed:
  • Jacob Goldin
  • Tatiana Homonoff
  • Rizwan Javaid
  • Brenda Schafer

Abstract

Governments and non-profits devote substantial resources to increasing take-up of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) through educational outreach. We study a different approach: policies that encourage tax filing. In a large field experiment, we find that IRS letters about free tax preparation modestly increased filing, with a large share of the new filers claiming the EITC. The results suggest policies that increase filing can be an effective way to increase take-up of tax-administered social benefits, even policies that do not raise awareness or directly target the benefit in other ways.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacob Goldin & Tatiana Homonoff & Rizwan Javaid & Brenda Schafer, 2021. "Tax Filing and Take-Up: Experimental Evidence on Tax Preparation Outreach and EITC Participation," NBER Working Papers 28398, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28398
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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