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.

In July 2005, Louisiana Department of Social Services held a planning meeting to build on the success of the EITC campaign to prepare for the 2005 tax year. However, with the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the target population for EITC/CTC outreach relocated outside of the State. Due to the change in target population, this Roundtable was convened to update and amend program strategies in response to Katrina, to assess the capacity of community organizations to provide free tax assistance services, and to determine how to provide critical outreach to displaced families in the 2006 tax season.

This resource provides information on how community organizations can help low-income individuals build assets. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are matched saving accounts that can be used for the purchase of a home, small business start-up, or education. Researchers reviewed three community-based IDA programs and offer information on how these organizations developed a reputation, responded to local housing markets, and connected to other resources in the community.

Asset building can be an important anti-poverty tool for many families as tangible assets can be passed down from generation to generation and afford families greater economic stability than income alone. Savings accounts are key to increasing family assets to help families achieve self-sufficiency. Policymakers have implemented a variety of strategies to encourage saving and asset building among low-income families, including Individual Development Accounts, and the EITC. This brief reviews the role that policymakers play in promoting asset building for low-income population.