Weekly News Round-up: December 7, 2015

Here are some highlights from the past week’s news on family tax credit issues. Remember – you also can track news coverage throughout the week by visiting our website, where you can filter news by a specific credit and/or state.

  • Congress continued to negotiate tax legislation and moved closer to a deal that would make permanent annually-approved tax breaks for corporations and key expiring provisions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) (Washington Post, The Hill, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Latin Post, Politico).
  • Advocates around the country wrote about the need for Congress to renew provisions of the EITC and CTC set to expire in 2016 and urged legislators to include tax credits for working families in any plan that supported tax breaks for corporations (Allentown Morning Call, WV Gazette MailGeneration Progress, CLASP, Huffington Post, The Hill).
  • This Wednesday, December 9, join Tax Credits for Working Families (TCWF), the Taxpayer Opportunity Network, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities for a webinar on how to reach EITC eligible families in your community (Register here).
  • TCWF director Lauren Pescatore spoke to The Times-Picayune on the importance of Louisiana-elect John Bel Edwards’ plans to double the state’s EITC (The Times Picayune).
  • Republicans in the House introduced a bill to drive down error rates by requiring tax preparers to take continuing education classes and submit to background checks. Democrats in the Senate offered a bill to improve taxpayer services at the IRS (The Hill, Accounting Today).
  • State officials in California kicked off a campaign to publicize the newly created EITC and make sure working families who are eligible collect their benefits (LA Times).
  • Children’s Health Watch released a study that found the EITC and CTC can have a positive effect on children’s health (Children’s Health Watch).