Bipartisan Policy Center: Credit Where Credit’s Due: Engaging State and Local Governments in Refundable Tax Credit Design and Administration
ITEP Work in ActionThe Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) are two of the most effective anti-poverty tools in the United States, helping to boost household economic security while incentivizing work for millions of Americans each year. Over the past three years in particular, attention increased on the interactions between state and federal tax policy as states grappled with the EITC’s and the CTC’s rapid temporary expansion, as well as changes to complementary federal policies and programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes at the federal level to these two credits highlighted critical challenges facing policymakers and the public including optimal tax policy design and administration.