New TCWF Case Studies Offer Strategies for Executing Successful Tax Credit Campaigns

What are some of the most effective tactics for advancing tax credit legislation? Each year, Tax Credits for Workers and Their Families (TCWF) releases a set of case studies on the strategies and messages advocates used in recent campaigns to create, expand, or protect state-level Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs). This year, we highlighted successful campaigns to expand state EITCs in California and Colorado, as well as a guide to advocating for the EITC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In California, a diverse coalition won an expansion of the CalEITC to all filers using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs).

Advocates in Colorado secured an increase of the state EITC from 10 to 15 percent of the federal credit and an expansion to ITIN filers.

The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown millions of Americans into financial instability. The EITC is one policy that can help low-income families stay afloat. This guide highlights messaging advocates can use to advocate for the EITC in the world of COVID-19.

These case studies, along with those from years past, illustrate the elements common to many tax credits campaigns, while highlighting unique and successful strategies that advocates across the country can adapt for their own efforts in 2021 and future years.

For a comprehensive list of strategies highlighted in all 21 TCWF case studies, check out our Guide to Effective EITC Advocacy.