Weekly News Round-up: February 16, 2016
Here are some highlights from the past week’s news and upcoming events 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 or state.
- President Obama’s final budget proposal included a plan to expand the EITC for workers without custodial children, lower the age of eligibility, and increase the Child and Dependent Care Credit (TCWF).
- Join TCWF, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) for a Twitter Chat on Tuesday, February 23 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST to discuss tools and tactics for conducting Earned Income Tax Credit outreach and helping more low-wage workers become aware of the credit. We will use a new hashtag, #EITCAware, promoted by the IRS to create an online community for sharing EITC outreach materials and ideas. Email Lauren Pescatore for a list of the questions that will be asked during the chat.
- A new brief from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) explains how states can reward work by providing state-level EITCs to complement the federal credit (ITEP).
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) touted his plan to triple the federal Child Tax Credit at the Republican presidential debate Saturday night. (The Hill)
- Missouri State Rep. Mike Kelley (R) said he is sponsoring legislation to create a state-level EITC (Joplin Globe).
- Cedric Johnson of the North Carolina Justice Center urged lawmakers to reinstate North Carolina’s EITC to address the state’s “upside-down” tax system. The credit was eliminated in 2013 (The Progressive Pulse).
- Lydia Edwards (D-East Boston) is running for Massachusetts State Senate with expanding the state’s EITC as one of her top priorities (NorthEndWaterfront.com).
- The Denver Post reminded Colorado residents that they may be eligible to receive the newly-funded state-level EITC (Denver Post).