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Simulating personal income tax in South Africa using administrative data and survey data: A comparison of PITMOD and SAMOD for tax year 2018

Author

Listed:
  • Wynnona Steyn
  • Alexius Sithole
  • Winile Ngobeni
  • Eva Muwanga-Zake
  • Helen Barnes
  • Michael Noble
  • David McLennan
  • Gemma Wright
  • Katrin Gasior

Abstract

In this paper we explore South Africa's personal income tax system using two microsimulation models. The first, SAMOD, simulates personal income tax and social benefits using a dataset derived from the nationally representative National Income Dynamics Study survey. The second, PITMOD, simulates the personal income tax system and is underpinned by a dataset comprising a full extract of anonymized individual-level administrative tax data especially constructed for this purpose.

Suggested Citation

  • Wynnona Steyn & Alexius Sithole & Winile Ngobeni & Eva Muwanga-Zake & Helen Barnes & Michael Noble & David McLennan & Gemma Wright & Katrin Gasior, 2021. "Simulating personal income tax in South Africa using administrative data and survey data: A comparison of PITMOD and SAMOD for tax year 2018," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-120, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2021-120
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Howell H Zee & Vito Tanzi, 2001. "Tax Policy for Developing Countries," IMF Economic Issues 27, International Monetary Fund.
    7. Tanzi, Vito, 2004. "Globalization and the need for fiscal reform in developing countries," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 525-542, June.
    8. Martin Wittenberg, 2017. "Measurement of earnings: Comparing South African tax and survey data," SALDRU Working Papers 212, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    9. Dominic Webber & Richard Tonkin & Martin Shine, 2020. "Using Tax Data to Better Capture Top Incomes in Official UK Income Inequality Statistics," NBER Chapters, in: Measuring Distribution and Mobility of Income and Wealth, pages 679-700, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Janina Hundenborn & Ingrid Woolard & Jon Jellema, 2019. "The effect of top incomes on inequality in South Africa," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 26(5), pages 1018-1047, October.
    11. Leventi, Chrysa & Matsaganis, Manos & Flevotomou, Maria, 2013. "Distributional implications of tax evasion and the crisis in Greece," EUROMOD Working Papers EM17/13, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    12. Olympia Bover & José María Casado & Esteban García-Miralles & Roberto Ramos & José María Labeaga, 2017. "Microsimulation tools for the evaluation of fiscal policy reforms at the Banco de España," Occasional Papers 1707, Banco de España.
    13. Wilkinson, Kate, 2009. "Adapting EUROMOD for use in a developing country – the case of South Africa and SAMOD," EUROMOD Working Papers EM5/09, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ada Jansen & Winile Ngobeni & Wynnona Steyn, 2023. "A reform option for pension fund contribution as tax expenditure in South Africa: A microsimulation model approach using tax administrative data," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-139, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    Keywords

    Microsimulation; Personal income tax; Income distribution; South Africa;
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