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Tax credits targeted at low-income families, free centers for providing tax-filing assistance, and other tax-time resources and related policies have had a major impact on the child poverty rate over the last two decades.

 

In San Antonio, a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program run by the city and local nonprofit organizations is the nation's second-largest program of its kind, assisting tens of thousands of low-income families in accessing over $70 million in tax credits from the Earned Income Tax Credit last year alone, according to the San Antonio Express-News.  Additionally, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted this week that the child tax credit enacted in last year's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has affected more than 18 million American families, and failing to extend it now would harm those families, including the households of more than 2 million children in Texas.

 

Other tax proposals being pushed by the Obama administration aim to support the needs of moderate income households. For example, a recent ABC News Report summarizes what changes, such as the expansion of the child and dependent care tax credit from $1,200 to $2,100 for many families, would mean. Additionally, the online publication Slate, offers an even more intensive examination of how federal tax policy regarding child care affects families.

 

If you are involved in work to advance better financial security for Texas families through tax assistance or awareness, the National Community Tax Coalition offers a number of useful, free resources online, from fliers about available tax credits to sample ads for tax-preparation-assistance programs, a recent update from the National League of Cities' Family Economic Success Network notes.