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Income Mobility and the Earned Income Tax Credit

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  • Tim Dowd
  • John B. Horowitz

Abstract

The authors use a unique data set of federal tax returns to analyze usage and participation patterns of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) over the period 1989–2006. The authors find that most EITC recipients claimed the EITC for short periods, 61% for 1 or 2 years. Over the period examined, the EITC reached approximately 50 percent of the taxpayers with children. Finally, the authors find considerable income mobility among the EITC eligible population. Only 11 percent of those claiming the EITC in 1990 and in the third decile of income were in the same decile in 2003. They also find that 20 percent of EITC claimants claim the EITC for more than 5 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim Dowd & John B. Horowitz, 2011. "Income Mobility and the Earned Income Tax Credit," Public Finance Review, , vol. 39(5), pages 619-652, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:39:y:2011:i:5:p:619-652
    DOI: 10.1177/1091142111401008
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. V. Joseph Hotz & Charles H. Mullin & John Karl Scholz, 2001. "The Earned Income Tax Credit and Labor Market Participation of Families on Welfare," JCPR Working Papers 214, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    2. Dahl, Molly & DeLeire, Thomas & Schwabish, Jonathan, 2009. "Stepping Stone or Dead End? The Effect of the EITC on Earnings Growth," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 62(2), pages 329-346, June.
    3. Dickert–Conlin, Stacy & Fitzpatrick, Katie & Hanson, Andrew, 2005. "Utilization of Income Tax Credits by Low–Income Individuals," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 58(4), pages 743-785, December.
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    5. Jeff Grogger & Stephen G. Bronars, 2001. "The Effect of Welfare Payments on the Marriage and Fertility Behavior of Unwed Mothers: Results from a Twins Experiment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(3), pages 529-545, June.
    6. V. Joseph Hotz, 2003. "The Earned Income Tax Credit," NBER Chapters, in: Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, pages 141-198, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Alan J. Auerbach & Daniel R. Feenberg, 2000. "The Significance of Federal Taxes as Automatic Stabilizers," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 37-56, Summer.
    8. Tim Dowd & John B. Horowitz, 2011. "Income Mobility and the Earned Income Tax Credit," Public Finance Review, , vol. 39(5), pages 619-652, September.
    9. Holtzblatt, Janet & Rebelein, Robert, 2000. "Measuring the Effect of the EITC on Marriage Penalties and Bonuses," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 53(4), pages 1107-1134, December.
    10. Janet Holtzblatt & Robert Rebelein, 2000. "Measuring the Effect of the EITC on Marriage Penalties and Bonuses," JCPR Working Papers 127, Northwestern University/University of Chicago Joint Center for Poverty Research.
    11. Ellwood, David T., 2000. "The Impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Social Policy Reforms on Work, Marriage, and Living Arrangements," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 53(n. 4), pages 1063-1106, December.
    12. Dowd, Timothy, 2005. "Distinguishing Between Short-Term and Long–Term Recipients of the Earned Income Tax Credit," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 58(4), pages 807-828, December.
    13. 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.
    14. Ellwood, David T., 2000. "The Impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Social Policy Reforms on Work, Marriage, and Living Arrangements," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 53(4), pages 1063-1106, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Splinter, 2019. "Who Pays No Tax? The Declining Fraction Paying Income Taxes And Increasing Tax Progressivity," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 37(3), pages 413-426, July.
    2. 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.
    3. Nicole Simpson & Devin Reilly & Kartik Athreya, 2010. "The Earned Income Tax Credit: Insurance Without Disincentives?," 2010 Meeting Papers 1103, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    4. Charles Gottlieb & Maren Froemel, 2015. "General Equilibrium Effects of Targeted Transfers: The case of EITC," 2015 Meeting Papers 1264, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    5. Gottlieb, Charles & Froemel, Maren, 2015. "General Equilibrium Effects of Targeted Transfers: The case of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113175, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Jeff Larrimore & Jacob Mortenson & David Splinter, 2015. "Income and Earnings Mobility in U.S. Tax Data," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2015-61, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    7. Otto Lenhart, 2021. "Earned income tax credit and crime," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 589-607, July.
    8. Sara LaLumia & James M. Sallee & Nicholas Turner, 2015. "New Evidence on Taxes and the Timing of Birth," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 7(2), pages 258-293, May.
    9. Tim Dowd & John B. Horowitz, 2011. "Income Mobility and the Earned Income Tax Credit," Public Finance Review, , vol. 39(5), pages 619-652, September.
    10. Otto Lenhart, 2019. "The effects of income on health: new evidence from the Earned Income Tax Credit," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 377-410, June.
    11. Maggie R. Jones, 2014. "The EITC over the business cycle: Who benefits?," CARRA Working Papers 2014-15, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    12. Lauren E. Jones & Guangyi Wang & Tansel Yilmazer, 2022. "The long‐term effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit on women's physical and mental health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(6), pages 1067-1102, June.
    13. Nicole Simpson & Jill Tiefenthaler & Jameson Hyde, 2010. "The Impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Economic Well-Being: A Comparison Across Household Types," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 29(6), pages 843-864, December.

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