low-income families

: TaxVox

Many Families with Children Won’t Be Helped By The House Version Of The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act

President Trump and House Republicans promised families a significant increase in the Child Tax Credit (CTC) . The House Ways & Means Committee’s Tax Cuts...

November 14, 2017Elaine Maag

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

A Plan To Radically Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit

Lawmakers of both parties have been talking about restructuring the refundable tax credits, such as the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit,...

September 14, 2017Elaine Maag

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

The IRS Could Improve EITC Compliance by Regulating Tax Preparers

Tax preparers play a critical role helping low income working families collect benefits from the Earned Income Tax Credit. Almost 60 percent of families claiming the EITC in 2010 and 2011 did so with the help of a paid preparer. Unfortunately, preparers can make costly mistakes—errors the taxpayer

November 2, 2015Elaine Maag

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

School’s Out: What If Parents Take the Tax Money and Run?

We moved last year—from Florida, a state with relatively poor public schools, to a strong school district in Michigan. Our property taxes are higher than the national and even county average, but like many families with school-age children, we are willing (and able) to pay them. We support our

June 3, 2015Renu Zaretsky

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

“Family Fairness Tax Reform” is Hard on Poor Families

Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) made a big splash with their “ Economic Growth and Family Fairness Tax Plan ” last month, which among other things would create a new partially refundable $2,500 per child tax credit (CTC). The plan is ambitious and expensive, but it may hurt many low

March 19, 2015Leonard E. Burman