News Round Up: July 1, 2019

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

Top Story: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a budget bill that expands eligibility for the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to taxpayers earning up to $30,000 and creates a credit for families with children younger than six, worth $1,000 annually. Notably, the new credit kicks in at the first dollar of income earned.  (Chronicle of Social Change)

  • The Oregon Legislature passed legislation to prevent the state’s EITC from expiring and increase the credit from 11 to 12 percent of the federal credit for taxpayers with dependent children under the age of three, and from 8 to 9 percent of the federal credit for all other eligible taxpayers. The legislation now heads to Governor Kate Brown (D) for her signature. (Statesman Journal)
  • The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) analyzed how the proposed Working Families Tax Relief Act would benefit veteran and active-duty military households; and low-income same-sex couples. CBPP also analyzed the Economic Mobility Act of 2019’s benefits for children and workers without dependent children. (CBPP)
  • The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute highlighted ways to make the EITC more effective for young Georgians, which included expanding the federal credit to workers under the age of 25; creating a state EITC; and investing in targeted outreach programs to eligible parents under the age of 25. (GBPI)