News Round Up: December 17, 2018

Here are some highlights from the past week’s news and upcoming events on family tax credit issues:

Top Story: Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló signed a $2 billion tax relief package into law, which would enact a local Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) worth up to $2,000 per worker. The package awaits approval by the federal Financial Oversight and Management Board. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, U.S.News & World Report)

  • The Oregon Senate Finance and Revenue committee introduced legislation to expand the state EITC. (The Oregonian)
  • West Virginia Senate Democrats released their policy priorities for the 2019 legislative session, which include enacting a state EITC to benefit an estimated 141,000 households. (The Journal)
  • A new ProPublica story highlights how EITC recipients are more likely to be audited and have their tax refund withheld by the IRS than middle- and high-income households. Cuts to the IRS’ budget have made the audit process longer, increasing its impact on low-income families who depend on receiving their credit at tax time each year.(ProPublica)
  • The Commonwealth Institute released a new chartbook on Virginia’s EITC that includes graphics on how the credit works, who benefits and how the state could improve the credit by making it refundable. (The Commonwealth Institute)
  • We released three case studies on the strategies used in successful campaigns to expand state-level EITCs in California, Louisiana and Maryland, as well as an updated guide to EITC advocacy. (TCWF)