SPMFEDTAXAC is a 20-digit floating point variable.
9999999999999.000000 = NIU (Not in universe)

Description

SPMFEDTAXAC measures a family's total tax liability after all tax credits are deducted. Tax credits include the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit. This variable is used in the construction of the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and is measured for the entire SPM family unit.

In 2014, the Census Bureau updated SPMFEDTAXAC values for CPS ASEC 2012, 2011 and 2010. Extracts made on IPUMS-CPS before April 15th, 2014 have the outdated values for SPMFEDTAXAC.

SPM variables prior to 2010 are created by Columbia University's Center on Poverty and Social Research. Details about the methodology used by CPSP to construct the Historical SPM are described in the Historical SPM user note.

Tax liability before credits is reported in SPMFEDTAXBC.

Amounts for SPMFEDTAXAC are expressed in dollars of the given year, rather than in constant dollars adjusted for inflation. Users can adjust for inflation using Consumer Price Index adjustment factors.

For more information on calculation of the SPM, see the Census Bureau's "The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure" report.

Comparability

Prior to 2010, SPM variables are constructed by CPSP using data from the CPS ASEC and other sources to calculate household resources and poverty thresholds. These variables are created using the best possible data available, but some must be imputed due to incomplete data coverage (particularly in the earliest years of the Historical SPM). Users are encouraged to read the Historical SPM documentation for information about CPSP's methodology and use caution when comparing pre- and post-2010 values.

Aside from the effects of inflation, SPMFEDTAXAC is comparable across years from 2010 to 2018.

In 2019, the Census Bureau implemented a new processing system to accommodate survey changes. These changes affect income and relationship variables, making poverty measurements before and after 2019 incomparable. For more information on this overhaul, see our guide to the 2019 ASEC updates.

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Unharmonized Variables