Advocacy Opportunities
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ABOUT
The Coalition
The Healthy Families EITC Coalition is a statewide nonpartisan network of advocates working to improve the health and well-being of Massachusetts children and families through an increase in the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The 40+ member coalition is led by Children’s HealthWatch at Boston Medical Center and consists of community-based agencies, legal advocates, professional associations, and Massachusetts workers and their families. A list of partnership and supporting organizations of the Healthy Families EITC Coalition can be found at the bottom of this page under the Supporting Organizations section.
EITC
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a benefit for working individuals and families with low to moderate income that reduces the amount of taxes they owe and may even provide them with a refund. It is a tax policy critical in reducing the financial burden of low-income families and has the potential to decrease food insecurity and increase health through shifting income towards spending on healthy meals and necessary medical care.
VITA Sites
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
Priorities
- Increase the Massachusetts EITC from 30% to 50% of the value of federal EITC.
• Increasing the MA EITC to 50% of the federal credit would increase economic mobility and improve children’s health.
- Enable taxpayers who file with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to access the Massachusetts EITC.
• Expanding state EITC eligibility to taxpayers who file with an ITIN would allow certain immigrants, with a range of legal statuses, to claim the state EITC, which would help families make ends meet.
- Direct the Department of Revenue to engage in a comprehensive outreach EITC promotion and outreach campaign.
• Directing the Department of Revenue to engage in comprehensive outreach would increase awareness of EITC and help eligible EITC taxpayers claim their credit
- Establish state funding for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites.
• Establishing state funding for VITA sites would ensure VITA sites in Massachusetts are able to provide free, IRS-certified, and highly accurate tax preparation to low-income taxpayers.
Upcoming Events
Past Events
EITC Updates
Massachusetts increased the state EITC in 2018. What does this mean for families?
- With the increase in the MA EITC to 30% of the federal credit, a family with two children eligible for the maximum credit will receive $1,684.80, a difference of +$393.12 from the former 23% match of the federal credit.
- This increase will further help the over 400,000 families across the Commonwealth who receive EITC to make ends meet.
- For more information on the increase, see the table below.
| Number of children | Max federal credit (based on Tax Year 2017) | Current: MA EITC = 23% federal credit |
FY19 increase: MA EITC = 30% federal credit |
| 0 | $510 | $117.30 | $153 |
| 1 | $3,400 | $782.00 | $1,020 |
| 2 | $5,616 | $1,291.68 | $1,684.80 |
| 3+ | $6,318 | $1,453.14 | $1895.40 |
In the News
- Story: Massachusetts Expands EITC, Tax Credits for Workers and their Families, July 20, 2018
- Story: Massachusetts Takes Action To Connect Domestic Violence Survivors to EITC, Tax Credits for Workers and Their Families, July 11, 2017, by Lauren Pescatore
- Op-Ed: This visit to the doctor can be a tonic for family finances, The Boston Globe, March 12, 2017, by Cristela Guerra
- Op-Ed: Wide support for lifting earned-income tax credit, The Boston Globe, March 04, 2015, by Katie Johnston
Scholars Strategy Network:
- Op-Ed: When Taxes Aren’t a Drag, New York Times, April 13, 2015, by Kathy Edin and Laura Tach
- Op-Ed: Big moment for working parents, The Milford Daily News, May 19, 2015, by Laura Tach and Sen. Jamie Eldridge
- Op-Ed: What Congress needs to know about America’s invisible anti-poverty program, The Hill, December 15, 2015, by Megan Hatch
- Podcast: Episode 11: Christmas in April, where Prof. Laura Tach discusses the EITC and explains why it is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in America.
The Earned Income Tax Credit’s Impact Throughout Massachusetts
The following interactive tools display the impact the EITC has on the state of Massachusetts. The data used in this tool was compiled in 2015 for Tax Year 2014 by the IRS and then the data was aggregated into different geographic units by The Brookings Institution. The maps displayed here show legislative districts for the House and Senate chambers of Massachusetts.
To use the interactive tool, scroll over a district and click on it to see information on how many taxpayers claimed EITC in that district and the sum of EITC dollars going into that district.
If you have questions about the tool please contact Keith Chappelle at Keith.Chappelle@bmc.org.
State House Districts
State Senate Districts
Accomplishments
- July 30th, 2018: Massachusetts increases the Massachusetts Earned Income Tax Credit from 23 percent to 30 percent of the federal credit
- July 17th, 2017: Governor Baker signs the budget for the fiscal year 2018 including the provision to expand Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to survivors of domestic violence and abandoned spouses.
- July 11th, 2017: The Massachusetts legislature passes a budget for the fiscal year 2018 including a provision to expand Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to survivors of domestic violence and abandoned spouses.
- August 5th, 2015: Governor Baker signs Earned Income Tax Increase for Working Families, increasing the Massachusetts Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from 15% to 23% of the federal EITC.
