Question

Difficulty: MediumIncome Method of Measurement

Match each economic receipt or transaction associated with national income accounting via the income method to its correct accounting classification or treatment.

  • Old-age pensions received by retired public servantsExcluded from national income calculations because it is a transfer payment
  • Undistributed corporate profits retained for expansionIncluded in national income as a component of total profit earned by capital
  • Royalty payments received by landowners for mineral extractionIncluded in national income as rental income derived from land and natural resources
  • Dividends paid to foreign equity investors from local productionDeducted from GDP when calculating Gross National Product as a factor outflow abroad

Answer

Old-age pensions match with exclusion as a transfer payment; Undistributed corporate profits match with inclusion as corporate profit; Mineral royalties match with inclusion as rent/property income; Dividends paid to foreign investors match with deduction from GDP to arrive at GNP via Net Factor Income from Abroad.
Under the income method of national income measurement, total national income is computed by summing all factor rewards (wages, rent, interest, profit) earned by residents for productive services rendered during the year. Transfer payments like old-age pensions are excluded because no productive service was rendered. Retained corporate profits form an integral part of earned corporate profits. Royalties paid for land or mineral rights are treated as rent. Income accruing to foreign residents (dividends paid abroad) must be deducted from GDP to derive GNP.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify unearned receipts (transfer payments) vs earned factor payments
Pensions represent transfer payments and are excluded from national income.
National income accounting counts only income earned from contributing to current production.
2
Classify domestic factor earnings into basic factor reward categories (Wages, Rent, Interest, Profit)
Retained earnings belong to corporate profit, and mineral royalties belong to land rent.
Income method sums rewards to factors of production: land earns rent, capital earns profit.
3
Apply Net Factor Income from Abroad (NFIA) adjustments to separate domestic output (GDP) from national output (GNP)
Dividends paid to foreign shareholders represent income outflow abroad and must be subtracted when calculating GNP.
GNP measures income earned by national residents regardless of geographic location.

Key Concept

Classification of Factor Incomes, Transfer Payments, and Net Factor Incomes under the Income Method
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