99999999 = N.I.U. (Not in Universe).
99999998 = Missing. (1962-1964 only)
Values can be negative.

The Census Bureau applies different disclosure avoidance measures across time for individuals with high income in this variable. Detailed explanations of these methods, topcodes, and replacement value and swap value thresholds are available here.

Description

INCBUS indicates each respondent's net pre-income-tax non-farm business and/or professional practice income for the previous calendar year. INCBUS is reported for self-employed persons; employees' earnings are given in INCWAGE.

Amounts are expressed as they were reported to the interviewer; users must adjust for inflation using Consumer Price Index adjustment factors.

For ASEC samples 1988-onward, INCBUS is derived from a Census recode variable. The topcoded components of INCBUS are OINCBUS and INCLONGJ. OINCBUS is always a component of INCBUS. When SRCEARN indicates that INCLONGJ is earned from self-employment, INCLONGJ is an additional component of INCBUS.

Comparability

Along with the effects of inflation and shifts in the variable universe, values for INCBUS may be affected by changes in question wording over time.

Conceptually, the INCBUS figure should be the amount earned after subtracting business expenses from gross receipts. In 1962, the survey questionnaire asked how much the respondent earned "by working in his own business or professional practice or partnership." For 1963-1974, interviewers asked about "net income" from these sources. For 1975-1979, the survey questionnaire asked whether an individual received income "from his own non-farm business, partnership, or professional practice" and then asked how much the person received "after expenses." Later years asked about "earnings" or "net earnings" in the person's "own business" "after expenses."

Comparability with IPUMS-USA

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_INCSE_A1
• UH_INCSE_A2
• UH_INCSE_A3
• UH_INCSE_A4
• UH_INCSE_A5
• UH_INCSE_A6
• UH_INCSE_A7
• UH_INCSE_A8
• UH_INCSE_A9