From Data to Policy Analysis: Tax-benefit Modelling Using SILC 2008

Tax-benefit models are used to explore alternative policy reforms, providing evidence which can guide policy choices. A database representing the national situation in terms of the income tax base and beneficiaries of social welfare schemes is critically important for such models. This paper describes how the database for SWITCH, the ESRI tax-benefit model, has been constructed from the CSO's 2008 Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC). The validation of the model database with respect to a range of external sources, and procedures used to adjust the database with respect to recent or anticipated changes are also discussed.