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Mental Accounting Effects of Income Tax Shifting

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  • Naomi E. Feldman

    (Ben-Gurion University, Be'er Sheva, Israel)

Abstract

This paper analyzes a 1992 decrease in U.S. federal income tax withholding that shifted the timing of income tax payments while leaving ultimate tax burdens unchanged. Consequently income typically received as a lump-sum refund on filing a tax return was shifted into the previous year's monthly income. This paper considers the impact of the withholding change in the context of mental accounting and finds a decrease in the probability that households contributed to a tax-preferred retirement account. Additional robustness tests show that short-term saving did not simultaneously increase and that the main findings are not driven by liquidity constraints. © 2010 The President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Naomi E. Feldman, 2010. "Mental Accounting Effects of Income Tax Shifting," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(1), pages 70-86, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:92:y:2010:i:1:p:70-86
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    Cited by:

    1. J. Michael Collins & Amrita Kulka, 2023. "Saving by buying ahead: stockpiling in response to lump‐sum payments," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 451-484, December.
    2. Rahul Deb & Yuichi Kitamura & John K H Quah & Jörg Stoye, 2023. "Revealed Price Preference: Theory and Empirical Analysis," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(2), pages 707-743.
    3. Olivier Bargain & Damien Echevin & Audrey Etienne & Nicolas Moreau & Adrien Pacifico, 2022. "Tax Minimization by French Cohabiting Couples," Post-Print hal-04440515, HAL.
    4. Mousumi Singha Mahapatra & Jayasree Raveendran & Anupam De, 2019. "Building a Model on Influence of Behavioural and Cognitive Factors on Personal Financial Planning: A Study Among Indian Households," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 20(4), pages 996-1009, August.
    5. Naomi Feldman & Ori Heffetz, 2022. "A Grant to Every Citizen: Survey Evidence of the Impact of a Direct Government Payment in Israel," National Tax Journal, University of Chicago Press, vol. 75(2), pages 229-263.
    6. Kaustia, Markku & Rantapuska, Elias, 2012. "Rational and behavioral motives to trade: Evidence from reinvestment of dividends and tender offer proceeds," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 2366-2378.
    7. Derek Messacar, 2022. "Loss-Averse Tax Manipulation and Tax-Preferred Savings," Cahiers de recherche / Working Papers 8, Institut sur la retraite et l'épargne / Retirement and Savings Institute.
    8. Damon Jones, 2012. "Inertia and Overwithholding: Explaining the Prevalence of Income Tax Refunds," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(1), pages 158-185, February.
    9. Per Engström & Katarina Nordblom & Henry Ohlsson & Annika Persson, 2015. "Tax Compliance and Loss Aversion," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 132-164, November.
    10. Olivier Bargain & Damien Echevin & Nicolas Moreau & Adrien Pacifico, 2019. "Inefficient Couples: Non-minimization of the Tax Burden among French Cohabiting Couples," TEPP Working Paper 2019-05, TEPP.
    11. Messacar, Derek, 2023. "Loss-averse tax manipulation and tax-preferred savings," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 257-278.
    12. Olivier Bargain & Damien Echevin & Nicolas Moreau & Adrien Pacifico, 2019. "Inefficient Couples: Non-minimization of the Tax Burden among French Cohabiting Couples," Working Papers hal-02365239, HAL.
    13. Johannes Becker & Jonas Fooken & Melanie Steinhoff, 2019. "Behavioral Effects of Withholding Taxes on Labor Supply," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(4), pages 1417-1440, October.
    14. Justine Hastings & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2012. "Mental Accounting and Consumer Choice: Evidence from Commodity Price Shocks," NBER Working Papers 18248, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Steffen Meyer & Michaela Pagel, 2022. "Fully Closed: Individual Responses to Realized Gains and Losses," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(3), pages 1529-1585, June.
    16. Huang, Wei & Rhee, S. Ghon & Suzuki, Katsushi & Yasutake, Taeko, 2022. "Do investors value shareholder perks? Evidence from Japan," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    17. Justine Hastings & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2018. "How Are SNAP Benefits Spent? Evidence from a Retail Panel," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(12), pages 3493-3540, December.
    18. Blaufus, Kay & Milde, Michael & Schaefer, Marcel, 2022. "Saving at tax time: Do additional retroactive savings opportunities increase retirement savings?," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 272, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    19. Olsen, Jerome & Kasper, Matthias & Kogler, Christoph & Muehlbacher, Stephan & Kirchler, Erich, 2019. "Mental accounting of income tax and value added tax among self-employed business owners," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 125-139.
    20. Kevin Chung, 2020. "Incorporating a “Better” Behavioral Bias for Both Consumers and Firms in Rebate Programs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(4), pages 1627-1646, April.

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