Policy Basics: State Earned Income Tax Credits by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Working families in the US are eligible to receive refundable tax credits on earned income (EITC) through their federal income tax as well as in twenty-six states that offer additional state level EITC with qualifying incomes. The credits allow families to meet basic needs such as housing and food for low-income earners. Organizations like Children's HealthWatch have advocated to increase EITC for families which research shows reverses declines in life expectancy among low-income people, improves educational outcomes for young children, helps families' purchasing power for more healthy foods, and increases economic activity and consumption. Massachusetts in 2015 increased the state's EITC by fifty percent for 400 thousand working individuals and families.