FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2017
Contact: Alex Rossman
Michigan League for Public Policy
Phone: 517.487.5436
E-mail: arossman@mlpp.org
Michigan League for Public Policy encourages families to apply for EITC, Legislature and Congress to pass expansions
LANSING, Mich. — Today, Friday, January 27 is Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day, raising awareness in Michigan and across the nation about the eligibility of many working men and women with low incomes for the credit and to advocate for the expansion of the EITC at the state and federal levels.
The federal EITC was started under President Gerald Ford and expanded by President Ronald Reagan, and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has advocated for its expansion as a valuable tool to encourage work while fighting poverty. Twenty-six states including Michigan and the District of Columbia have enacted their own version of the federal EITC to help working families earning low wages meet basic needs.
The Michigan EITC took effect in 2008, providing a significant economic boost to the state. But starting in 2012, the state-level EITC was cut in Michigan from 20 percent of the federal credit to 6 percent, dropping the average credit received from $446 in tax year 2011 to $143 in tax year 2014. Additionally, the state EITC pulled nearly 6,800 taxpayers out of poverty in tax year 2014 compared to 22,000 in tax year 2011. State legislation, Senate Bill 26, has already been introduced this session to restore the Michigan EITC to 20 percent of the federal credit.
“As Michigan continues to rebound economically, the recovery is not being felt by workers at every level. It is imperative that the Legislature do more to help the people in our state who are working but still living in poverty,” said Gilda Z. Jacobs, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “We’re calling for a full reinstatement of the EITC in Michigan. The EITC promotes economic opportunity, helps hardworking families make ends meet and enhances the lives of children. It promotes work, improves tax fairness, reduces poverty and boosts local economies statewide.”
Jacobs noted that workers in rural communities and urban neighborhoods alike benefit from the state and federal EITC, with nearly every dollar received as a tax credit spent in local economies. Click here to see individual county data on how many households benefit from the EITC, how much money it contributes to local economies and how residents and businesses would benefit from reinstating the state EITC to 20 percent.
Proposals are circulating at the federal level to expand the EITC to workers with low wages who are not currently raising children in their homes. These proposals would make between 459,000 and 541,000 workers in Michigan eligible for an EITC or allow them to receive a larger EITC, including up to 27,000 veteran and military members, 98,000 rural households and 160,000 workers under the age of 25.
“No worker should be taxed into or deeper into poverty, but that’s exactly what our current tax system is doing to workers without any dependents,” said Jacobs. “Bipartisan proposals to expand the EITC at the federal level to struggling workers not currently raising children in the home will lift hundreds of thousands of workers out of poverty in Michigan.”
About 775,500 taxpayers, raising over 1 million children, received the state EITC, claiming $111.2 million in credits in tax year 2014 at an average credit of $143 per taxpayer. The average state EITC recipient had an adjusted gross income of $17,866 and the average credit for a taxpayer raising two or more children was over $215. Click here for qualifying information at the federal level and click here for qualifying information at the state level. Residents can also see if they are eligible for the EITC and get free tax help at michiganfreetaxhelp.org.
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on economic opportunity for all. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
