Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit

As an earnings supplement for low-income working families, the EITC raises incomes and helps families build assets.

Part of a Series

Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

As one of our recommended 12 steps to cut poverty in half in the next 10 years, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit would greatly assist the one in eight Americans who lives in poverty. As an earnings supplement for low-income working families, the EITC raises incomes and helps families build assets. The Child Tax Credit provides a tax credit of up to $1,000 per child, but provides no help to the poorest families. We recommend tripling the EITC for childless workers and expanding help to larger working families. We recommend making the Child Tax Credit available to all low- and moderate-income families. Doing so would move as many as 5 million people out of poverty.

For more information on this topic, please see:

From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half by the Center for American Progress Task Force on Poverty
Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.