Freakonomics

Jordan (no not that one) has lent me a copy of Freakonomics which is a great read. A wonderful study of how human nature and incentives work. I’ve been reading it every night (bar one) this week.

Anyway one of the items in there was about how US taxpayers used to be able to get a tax credit for their children. In 1987 they then required not just to list the children but also their social security numbers. Overnight *seven million* children disappeared.

Anyway the day after I read this in Freakonomics it turned up on the Snopes Urban Legends site who confirm it is true.

I wonder what proof of children our tax system requires?