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Participation and Compliance With the Earned Income Tax Credit

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  • Blumenthal, Marsha
  • Erard, Brian
  • Ho, Chih–Chin

Abstract

We explore participation and compliance with the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) using a unique administrative data source. Among eligible households with a legal filing requirement, we find that EITC participation is high and that it responded positively to the rise in real benefit amounts during the 1990s. Although participation has also improved among households with no legal filing obligation, it remains rather low and may actually be inferior to participation within more traditional welfare programs. Compliance with the EITC has been a persistent problem. We find that erroneous claims are much more common among households who satisfy some (but not all) program requirements. We find no evidence of a deterrent role by tax practitioners with respect to improper claims.

Suggested Citation

  • Blumenthal, Marsha & Erard, Brian & Ho, Chih–Chin, 2005. "Participation and Compliance With the Earned Income Tax Credit," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 58(2), pages 189-213, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:58:y:2005:i:2:p:189-213
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2005.2.02
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Casey B. Mulligan, 2012. "The ARRA: Some Unpleasant Welfare Arithmetic," NBER Working Papers 18591, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Congdon, William J. & Kling, Jeffrey R. & Mullainathan, Sendhil, 2009. "Behavioral Economics and Tax Policy," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 62(3), pages 375-386, September.
    3. Austin Nichols & Jesse Rothstein, 2015. "The Earned Income Tax Credit," NBER Chapters, in: Economics of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, Volume 1, pages 137-218, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Felix Bransch & Paul Gurr, 2019. "Die Nachfrage nach Steuerberatungsleistungen: Evidenz für deutsche Steuerpflichtige [The Demand for Tax Preparation Services: Evidence from German Taxpayers]," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 71(3), pages 245-270, November.
    5. Bradley L. Hardy & Daniel Muhammad & Rhucha Samudra, 2015. "The Effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit in the District of Columbia on Poverty and Income Dynamics," Upjohn Working Papers 15-230, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    6. Tim Dowd & John B. Horowitz, 2011. "Income Mobility and the Earned Income Tax Credit," Public Finance Review, , vol. 39(5), pages 619-652, September.
    7. Maggie R. Jones & Amy B. O’Hara, 2016. "Do Doubled-Up Families Minimize Household-Level Tax Burden?," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 69(3), pages 613-640, September.
    8. Donald P. Hirasuna & Thomas F. Stinson, 2007. "Urban and Rural Differences in Use of Earned Income Credits: A Study of Minnesota's Working Family Credit," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 30(4), pages 408-448, October.
    9. John Guyton & Kara Leibel & Day Manoli & Ankur Patel & Mark Payne & Brenda Schafer, 2023. "The Effects of EITC Correspondence Audits on Low-Income Earners," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 38, pages 163-207, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. John Karl Scholz, 2010. "The Earned Income Tax Credit and the U.S. Low-Wage Labor Market," ESRI Discussion paper series 237, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    11. Sheila Mammen & Frances Lawrence & Peter Marie & Ann Berry & Suzann Knight, 2011. "The Earned Income Tax Credit and Rural Families: Differences Between Non-participants and Participants," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 461-472, September.
    12. Paul Trampe, 2007. "The EITC Disincentive: The Effects on Hours Worked from the Phase-out of the Earned Income Tax Credit," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 4(3), pages 308-320, September.
    13. 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).

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