Publication: Neural Network Analysis of the Employee Classification Problem for Tax Purposes
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1997
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Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales. Instituto Complutense de Análisis Económico (ICAE)
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Abstract
Since 1987 the U.S. Internal Revenue Service has relied on twenty common law factors for guidance in determining whether a worker is an emplyoee or an independent contractor. This study presents new evidence on the task of simplifying that complex classification problem. Neural network methodology is used to classify workers using data obtained from Private Letter Rulings issued by the Internal Revenue Service from 1988 through a portion of 1993, a data set not previously used for this purpose. The model is highly accurate in correctly classifying workers as either employees or independent contractors. The overall prediction success rate using sample data was 97.2 percent and drops to 91.4 percent when a holdout sample was used. These findings are robust for each of the years in the study. For comparison purposes, classification results using logistic regression are also included. Results from both methodologies are identical.
Desde 1987 el Servicio de Recaudación Interna de los Estados Unidos ha confiado en veinte factores definidos por ley para guiarse en la clasificación de empleados y trabajadores independientes. Este estudio presenta nueva evidencia para simplificar el complejo problema de dicha clasificación. Mediante el uso de redes neuronales (neural networks), la clasificación se realiza utilizando declaraciones (private Letter Rulings) del Internal Revenue Service desde 1988, hasta una porción de 1993, un banco de datos no utilizado hasta el momento. El modelo es altamente preciso en la clasificación de trabajadores como empleados o trabajadores independientes. El porcentaje de predicciones correctas es de un 97.2 %, Y cae al 91.4% para valores fuera de la muestra. Estos resultados son robustos para cada uno de los años incluídos en el estudio. A los efectos de comparación, también se incluyen resultados de la clasificación utilizando regresión logística. Ambas metodologías producen idénticos resultados.
Desde 1987 el Servicio de Recaudación Interna de los Estados Unidos ha confiado en veinte factores definidos por ley para guiarse en la clasificación de empleados y trabajadores independientes. Este estudio presenta nueva evidencia para simplificar el complejo problema de dicha clasificación. Mediante el uso de redes neuronales (neural networks), la clasificación se realiza utilizando declaraciones (private Letter Rulings) del Internal Revenue Service desde 1988, hasta una porción de 1993, un banco de datos no utilizado hasta el momento. El modelo es altamente preciso en la clasificación de trabajadores como empleados o trabajadores independientes. El porcentaje de predicciones correctas es de un 97.2 %, Y cae al 91.4% para valores fuera de la muestra. Estos resultados son robustos para cada uno de los años incluídos en el estudio. A los efectos de comparación, también se incluyen resultados de la clasificación utilizando regresión logística. Ambas metodologías producen idénticos resultados.
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