PolicyEngine / PolicyEngine/policyengine-us
NIIT source list omits passive partnership/S-corp and estate income (section 1411(c)(1)(A)(ii))
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 162
- Forks
- 212
- Avg merge
- 3d 3h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 97
Description
Found while preparing the business-income crosswalk memo for the TAXSIM collaboration (Microcosm #530 arc), verified against the formulas on current main.
`net_investment_income` adds the parameterized source list `gov.irs.investment.income.sources`: taxable_interest_income, dividend_income, rental_income, loss_limited_net_capital_gains, non_sch_d_capital_gains. Rental income is therefore the only business-income input in the NIIT base.
Per section 1411(c)(1)(A)(ii) and Form 8960 line 4a-4b, net investment income also includes income from passive trades or businesses — passive partnership/S-corp interests and estate/trust income retaining that character. The engine has no passive/active split on `partnership_income`/`s_corp_income`/`estate_income` today, so a full fix needs either a passivity input or a documented assumption; either way the current silent exclusion understates the NIIT base for pass-through-heavy filers.
Flagged in the crosswalk memo to Sabelhaus/Feenberg as an engine-scope note ('we flag rather than paper over it').
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Contributor guide
Research direction
Start at net_investment_income and the gov.irs.investment.income.sources parameter, then inspect how partnership_income, s_corp_income, and estate_income are represented. Compare the current source list with section 1411(c)(1)(A)(ii) and Form 8960 lines 4a-4b; done requires either a passivity input or a documented assumption that avoids silently excluding these amounts.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- backend
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100