COLMOD

COLMOD is a Tax-Benefit Microsimulation model for Colombia powered by and following EUROMOD rules. The model was originally developed as part of David Rodriguez’ PhD in Economics. Currently the model is hosted at the Faculty of Economics at Externado de Colombia University.

History:

The model was independently developed by David Rodriguez ISER PhD student and researcher at Universidad Externado de Colombia. The first version of the model was based on the 2014 Quality of Life National Survey (ENCV, Encuesta Nacional de Calidad de Vida). includes benefits, workers social insurance contributions and income taxes for 2014 and was completed by June 2017. An extension of the model with indirect taxes and employers’ social insurance contributions and policies for 2015-2016 was finished by July 2018. The third version of the model includes policies for 2017-2018 and uses two new databases GEIH (Great Integrated Household Survey) and ENPH (Households’ Budget National Survey, this last one is not publicly available). The latest version of the model includes policies for 2014 to 2021 and is based on the GEIH. It is available at Colmod website.

Current team members:

David Rodríguez (Lecturer and Researcher, Faculty of Economics, Externado de Colombia University), Mateo Zapata (Research Assistant, Faculty of Economics, Externado de Colombia University).

Former team members:

Federico Corredor and Omar Vanegas (Lecturers and Researchers, Faculty of Economics, Externado de Colombia University). Paula Martínez, Andrés Alejandra Rubio, Andrés Escobar, Angie Paredes, and Santiago Rojas (Research Assistants, Faculty of Economics, Externado de Colombia University).

Status:

Maintained

Content accessibility:

• Freely available online
Notes: The model is currently being updated

Data accessibility:

• Freely available for download
Notes: The input data is freely available to download after some forms are filled

Input data sources:

• Quality of Life National Survey (ENCV, Encuesta Nacional de Calidad de Vida), Great Integrated Household Survey (GEIH, Gran Encuesta Integrada de Hogares)

Model outputs:

• Learning from your neighbor: tax-benefit systems swaps in Latin America (with Olivier Bargain and Xavier Jara)
• Financial disincentives to formal work:  evidence from Ecuador and Colombia, WIDER Working Paper 14/2019
• Income redistribution in Latin America: a microsimulation approach, WIDER Working Paper 1/2019
• Política fiscal, pobreza y desigualdad: un modelo de microsimulación para Colombia
• Assessing the cushioning effect of tax-benefit policies in the Andean region during the COVID-19 pandemic (No. 8/21). CeMPA Working Paper Series.
• The effect of COVID-19 and emergency policies on Colombian households’ income. Retrieverd from https://www. uexternado. edu. co/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DDT-67. pdf.
• Simulating Personal Income Tax Reforms and Fiscal Gains in the Andean Region TECHNICAL NOTE Nº IDB-TN- 1 95 7
• Financial disincentives to formal employment and tax-benefit systems in Latin America
• The role of tax–benefit systems in protecting household incomes in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic

Model documentation:

• https://www.uexternado.edu.co/economia/colmod

Project page