Tax data from the EDP: a new source of information on couples and families?

Data from annual income tax returns are now included in the French Longitudinal Survey, called EDP in French (the acronym for « échantillon démographique permanent »), for 5 different years (2011 to 2015). What do these new data provide to describe couples and families?

The EDP database combine various datasources for a sample of individuals. This combination provides better understanding of each database and allows studies that were not possible before, such as studies on consensual unions (nor married, nor linked by a civil contract – PACS –).

Before making studies using these new data, we need to analyse the quality of the fiscal data included as regards statistics on couples and families. Are fiscal data consistant with other data on the same topic already included in the EDP (such as vital event registration)? Are they consistant with statistics published with other database (such as the family survey conducted in 2011)?

The aim of the document is to assess the possibility to provide reliable statistics on couples and families using fiscal data included in the EDP. The aim gives also an overview of new analyses allowed using the new data in combination to the other already included in the EDP. For instance, it is now possible to estimate how many consensual unions are formed each year and how many are broken down.