News Round Up: October 26, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting low-income communities and exacerbating economic inequality across the country. Throughout this crisis, TCWF will compile news, legislation, and research on how tax credits and other income-boosting policies can provide much-needed relief for the hardest-hit communities:
Top Story: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) and the state’s Department of Revenue launched a new outreach initiative targeting 22,000 eligible taxpayers who do not claim the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to ensure they receive the money they earned. (Canton Daily Ledger)
- New York state Senator Jessica Ramos (D-East Elmhurst) introduced legislation to create a Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, which would work to cut child poverty in half over the next decade. The council would research and recommend policies to reduce child poverty, such as expanding the state’s EITC and Child Tax Credit. (The Observer)
- Nikhita Airi, research assistant at the Tax Policy Center, highlighted ways the federal tax code should adapt to address the needs of workers in the new COVID-19 labor market, such as specific expansions to the EITC that increase its value or expand access to groups like caregivers and low-income students. (Tax Policy Center)
- On Tuesday, November 10, the IRS will host “National EIP Registration Day” to raise awareness of the availability of Economic Impact Payments for those who don’t normally file tax returns. Learn more about the effort and how to get involved here.