From Prosperity Now (https://prosperitynow.org/):
Happy Tax Day! Today marks the end of the 2018 filing season, and relief for over 90,000 volunteer tax preparers across the country working under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to helping low-income families file for free this tax season!
Tax Day also reminds us of the work that still needs to be done towards building a more equitable tax code. The tax plan signed into law at the end of last year falls well short of providing meaningful reform and benefits for working families.
Tax expenditures are a form of government spending that help lift many low-income families out of poverty. Through the tax code, the U.S. government invests directly into American families by providing wealth-building incentives to promote savings, higher education, homeownership and entrepreneurship.
Where Do We Go from Here?
In the coming months, we’ll continue working to create long-term solutions that fix our growing wealth divide, rather than letting it continue unabated. We must continue to preserve and strengthen programs that help hard-working American families, like the Earned Income Tax Credit and VITA, while advocating for new solutions like tax-time emergency savings options that help families achieve the financial prosperity inherent to the American Dream.
For a more detailed look at the aftermath of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as Prosperity Now’s vision and plan for responding and ultimately turning the tax code right-side up, read our latest Tax Day blog. You can also share our infographics on social media to highlight the upside-down nature of the new tax law.
Join the Conversation
We want to hear from you! What do you think Congress should do to turn the tax code right-side up for working families? As the debate around the new tax law continues, we’ll continue crafting and advancing policy solutions to turn our tax code right-side up and close the ever-growing racial wealth divide. Join our Twitter conversation and tell us what you think should be done to fix the tax code by using the hashtag #RightSideUp.
One of the safest and most effective means for low-income tax filers to receive the benefits of the tax code for the last several decades has been the VITA program. But, after all these years, this program is still not permanent and has to fight to survive every year. Now, legislation in Congress that would make the program permanent is moving, but we need your help to make it law.
Customize and send our pre-drafted email to your Members of Congress and ask them to make the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program permanent so that millions of elderly, disabled and low-income Americans can continue to receive free tax preparation services.
For additional questions about Prosperity Now’s tax policy work, please email us at policy@prosperitynow.org.
Leave a Reply