Pierre Brochu ~ Department of Economics ~ University of Ottawa

 

 

Who Does Not Share their Tax Information? And its Implication for Income Inequality

 

with Jean-Michel Billette and Louis-Philippe Morin

 

 

Abstract:

 

This paper examines the implication of the decision to give 2006 Census respondent the option of letting Statistics Canada access their income tax files rather than answering income related questions directly. We find that giving respondents the option to share their income tax files (or not) adds a confounding factor when it comes to measuring family income inequality, particularly for the bottom tail of the distribution. The consent decision does not, however, materially affect the estimation of standard wage equations.

 

Working Paper, August 2012.

 

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