Social_Policy

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) provides tax relief to those who are working or are looking for work and are paying for the care of children under age 13, a disabled spouse, or other dependent. The credit equals a percentage of qualified expenses up to a cap. To qualify for the credit, the person must have earned income. This article will focus on recent expansions to the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

Tax expenditures refer to the revenue losses attributable to provisions of the federal tax laws that deviate from a "normal" tax on income. Although there are debates over precisely what a tax expenditure is, many exclusions, deductions, credits, preferential rates, and deferrals of tax liability--other then those necessary to calculate income correctly or to provide a basic exemption from taxation--are considered tax expenditures.

The term "tax expenditure" refers to departures from the normal tax structure designed to favor a particular industry, activity, or class of persons. Most budget experts view the tax expenditure budget as a useful tool in managing the size and scope of the federal government, but a growing contingent of conservative critics has raised questions about the concept.

The testimony discusses current statistics on tax evasion, the argument for trying to stem it, and why IRS efforts so far have been disappointing. It then focuses on specific issues related to the earned income tax credit (EITC). The testimony concludes that, while deterring system-wide tax evasion should be a high priority, the approach of targeting EITC recipients for intrusive pre-audits represents a poor use of limited compliance resources and threatens to undermine a highly effective program.

On June 13, 2003, the IRS requested public comments on a proposed EITC procedure. The goal of this new EITC procedure, known as precertification, is to reduce EITC error rates by individuals who are ineligible. Because a variety of questions have been raised about this procedure, and also because of its embryonic stage of development, the IRS wants to start with a pilot study that involves 45,000 filers.

The testimony discusses current statistics on tax evasion, the argument for trying to stem it, and why IRS efforts so far have been disappointing. It then focuses on specific issues related to the earned income tax credit (EITC). The testimony concludes that, while deterring system-wide tax evasion should be a high priority, the approach of targeting EITC recipients for intrusive pre-audits represents a poor use of limited compliance resources and threatens to undermine a highly effective program.

In recent years, the largest budgetary decisions of Congress have been concentrated in two areas: tax cuts and expansions in health care, particularly Medicare. Given all the rhetoric that surfaced during the tax cut debate, it might be worthwhile to see how consistently these arguments have been carried forth from that bill to the new Medicare bill.

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 expanded assistance for postsecondary education for low- and middle-income families with the creation of two new credits: the Hope Scholarship Credit (Hope Credit) and the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC). Both are intended to subsidize the cost of attending school by allowing a portion of a student's expenses to be offset by a tax credit.

[ Brookings Institution] This brief argues that the time is ripe for an integrated credit that combines the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the CTC into an Earned Income Child Credit (EICC). The proposed EICC simplifies and standardizes the definition of qualifying children and those who may claim them, and indexes the new credit for inflation so that it retains its purchasing power over time. The EICC also provides enhanced benefits to low-income working families and reduces marginal tax rates. One version would cost $6 billion relative to current law (JGTRRA) in calendar year 2003.

[Dayton Daily News] The president's 2003 tax proposals include accelerating the so-called "marriage penalty" relief for middle- and upper-class married couples, rather than phasing in the change over a decade. Yet, for the largest source of cash assistance to low-income working familiesthe Earned Income Tax Creditthe administration has elected to ignore quicker remedies to the marriage penalty. While the tax credit is a vital mechanism for helping the working poor escape poverty, it imposes substantial marriage penalties on low-income couples.