Authored by Alan Berube, William G. Gale, and Tracy Kornblatt, this paper examines federal tax policy in relation to building assets for low-income people in cities. Federal tax policy can play a significant role in the wellbeing of families in cities.

Through the Urban Institute, this article reviews information about the Child Tax Credit, which is the largest federal cash assistance program for children. The tax credit provides over $46 billion in subsidies to families with children every year. This paper examines the distribution of the CTC based on income and reviews disparities among race or ethnicity.

This article reviews principles and funding information for financial literacy programs for low-income individuals and outlines effective approaches to providing financial literacy.

This bulletin reviews a microenterprise development organization in California. This company provides tax preparation in an effort to build assets for the low-income population through the Earned Income Tax Credit.

This article provides information to states to estimate the cost of a Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

This article, through the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, reviews the impact of state run Earned Income Tax Credit programs. Currently, the federal EITC lifts more than 4 million people out of poverty a year, and a state EITC can also help alleviate poverty and economic hardship. Although 19 states have enacted EITCs, this resource provides evidence to why the EITC is necessary in across the country.

Since the inception of the Federal EITC, a rising number of States have provided their own State EITCs for working families. States that enact EITCs can reduce child poverty, increase effective wages, and cut taxes for low-income working families. This article from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities offers reasons why States should considered implementing State EITC programs.

From the Urban Institute, this article reviews State tax policy in times of recession. Often times, tax increases carries a higher tax burden for low-income working families. However, low-income families can be protected from increases through the use of state earned income tax credits. In this policy brief, authors outline state tax changes that affected low-income families in the past four years.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Region III convened two strategic planning meetings in eastern Pennsylvania on February 12, 2004 and February 18, 2004 to provide information to county officials about the advantages of the Earned Income Tax Credit. This short summary provides a brief on the content of these meetings.

The purpose of these meetings was to collaborate on federal assistance programs, to encourage use of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and to promote self-sufficiency among needy families. It provided information to inform clients on asset-building strategies for families. By promoting job preparation, work, and marriage, dependency on government programs would be reduced.