Parameter files

The parameters of the tax and transfer system are stored in compartment specific dictionaries. The params argument created in set_up_policy_environment and then used in compute_taxes_and_transfers is a dictionary of these compartment specific dictionaries. Thus it is a dictionary of dictionaries, where the keys are the name of the compartment. The files from which set_up_policy_environment loads the default parameters for each year, can be found here and are named by the compartment. Our current guidlines on how these files are set up can be found in the GEP-2.

Inside GETTSIM, functions don’t operate with the full params file and instead just use each compartment specific parameter dictionary. The names of these dictionaries are named by the structure compartment_name + _params. The explicit names can be found in the table below. GETTSIM reads the function arguments and selects the corresponding part of the params file. For GETTSIM to read and process the arguments of functions correctly the compartment_name + _params variables have to be last inputs in the function signature.

sozialv_beitr_params

Social insurance contributions

eink_st_params

Income tax

eink_st_abzuege_params

Income tax deductions

soli_st_params

Solidarity surcharge

arbeitsl_geld_2_params

Basic social insurance

arbeitsl_geld_params

Unemployment benefits

unterhalt_params

Alimony payments

unterhaltsvors_params

Advance on alimony payments

abgelt_st_params

Capital income tax

wohngeld_params

Housing benefits

kinderzuschl_params

Child allowance

kindergeld_params

Child benefits

elterngeld_params

Parental leave benefits

ges_rente_params

Pensions

grunds_im_alter_params

Old-age basic income support