The ATO ALife Family File

ABSTRACTThe ATO ALife Family File (ALife‐Family) combines rich family connections and administrative superannuation and tax data that opens new opportunities for understanding joint financial decisions between partners, intergenerational income mobility and some aspects of wealth mobility. In this study, we describe the construction of the ALife Family File, compare it to the HILDA Survey and demonstrate its value as a tool for intergenerational analysis. Our analysis shows that the characteristics of couples in ALife‐Family are consistent with those in HILDA but that the former has the advantage of better coverage of superannuation and income data. Preliminary analysis highlights both opportunities and challenges of using ALife‐Family when examining intergenerational issues.