Microsimulation for Public Policy. Experiences from the Swedish Model SESIM

Abstract

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the largest cash or near-cash U.S. antipoverty program. Taxpayers gain access to the EITC by having incomes below certain thresholds and by filing a tax return. For a taxpayer to receive a larger EITC available to families with children, the EITC-qualifying child must live with the taxpayer more than half the year. In this paper I will discuss the EITC and low-wage labor markets in the United States. This paper reviews policy applications of the Swedish microsimulation model SESIM. These applications include studies of grants and loans to students, redistribution through the public sector and in particular the consequences of population ageing. The paper also discusses the structure and properties of SESIM and demonstrates how the model can be used to evaluate alternative policies.