Ph.D. in economics, University of California, San Diego; B.A. in economics and mathematics, New York University
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More ExpertsPatricia Tong is an economist at the RAND Corporation who specializes in public finance, labor, and health economics. Her research focuses on developing a better understanding of how public policy affects household outcomes, particularly among low-income families, married couples, and the aging population. Tong has also worked on projects related to military compensation and benefits and access to substance abuse and mental health treatment. Her published research has documented the anti-poverty effects from participating in the tax system, estimated labor supply elasticities of married couples, and evaluated the impact of minimum nurse staffing standards. Tong's research has been published in various journals including American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Health Economics, International Tax and Public Finance, and National Tax Journal. Prior to joining RAND, she was a financial economist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Tax Analysis. She received her Ph.D. in economics from University of California, San Diego, and B.A. in economics and mathematics from New York University.
Suzanne Gleason and Patricia K. Tong, "Nontaxable Combat Pay Election and the Earned Income Tax Credit," IRS Research Bulletin, 2015
Emily Y. Lin and Patricia K. Tong, "Effects of Marriage Penalty Relief Tax Policy on Marriage Taxes and Marginal Tax Rates of Cohabiting Couples," National Tax Association Proceedings from the 107th Annual Conference, 2014
Patricia K. Tong, "Tracking EITC Qualifying Children Over Time," National Tax Association Proceedings from the 107th Annual Conference, 2014
Laura Kawano, Shanthi Ramnath, and Patricia K. Tong, "A Re-Balancing Act? Understanding Patterns in Refunds and Balances Due," National Tax Association Proceedings from the 105th Annual Conference, 2012
Emily Y. Lin and Patricia K. Tong, "Marriage and Taxes: What Can We Learn from Tax Returns Filed by Cohabiting Couples?" National Tax Journal, 65(4), 2012
Patricia K. Tong, "The Effects of California Minimum Nurse Staffing Laws on Nurse Labor and Patient Mortality in Skilled Nursing Facilities," Health Economics, 20(7), 2011
Shanthi Ramnath and Patricia K. Tong, "The Persistent Reduction in Poverty from Filing a Tax Return," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 9(4), 2017
Emily Y. Lin and Patricia K. Tong, "Using Administrative Tax Data to Estimate Work Participation and Earnings Elasticities of of Married Couples," International Tax and Public Finance, 24(6), 2017
