BIMic: The Bank of Italy Microsimulation Model for the Italian Tax and Benefit System

Abstract

The paper presents BIMic, a static and non-behavioural microsimulation model developed at the Bank of Italy. BIMic reproduces the main features of the Italian tax and benefit system, such as social security contributions, personal income tax, property taxes, family allowances and some other social benefits. It aims to evaluate the budgetary impact and distributive effects of tax-benefit programmes. Such programmes may be actually operating at a given point in time or may be a counterfactual set. To illustrate a potential use of BIMic, this paper discusses the distributive impact of a recently approved legislative innovation regarding the additional transfer to pensioners (known as the quattordicesima ai pensionati).