Distributing the Green (Cards): Permanent residency and personal income taxes after the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Public Economics
Year: 2019
Volume: 172
Issue: C
Pages: 135-150

Authors (2)

Cascio, Elizabeth U. (not in RePEc) Lewis, Ethan G. (Dartmouth College)

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We explore how permanent residency affects personal income tax participation and net personal income tax payments using variation from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which authorized the largest U.S. amnesty to date. We exploit the timing and geographic unevenness of IRCA's legalization programs alongside newly digitized data on personal income taxes in California, home to the majority of applicants. Green Cards induced the previously unauthorized to file state income tax returns at rates comparable to other California residents. While the new returns generated little additional revenue through the end of the 1990s, they did raise the incomes of families with children through new claims of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:pubeco:v:172:y:2019:i:c:p:135-150
Journal Field
Public
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25