Child Tax Credit (CTC)

What to Expect During the 2021 Tax Season

The IRS recently announced the extension of tax filing and payment deadlines from April 15th to May 17th to help taxpayers navigating the many tax changes amid the pandemic and give the IRS opportunity to clear its backlog of tax returns and correspondence.

Making the Expanded Child Tax Credit Permanent Would Cost Nearly $1.6 Trillion

As the Biden administration and Congress consider making the expanded child tax credit permanent, a nearly $1.6 trillion expansion of tax code-administered benefits, they should consider financing it in a way that doesn’t create significant headwinds to economic recovery.

U.S. COVID-19 Relief Provided More Than $60,000 in Benefits to Many Unemployed Families

During the pandemic, an unemployment family of four previously earning $60,000 will have received $50,840 in federal and state unemployment benefits from April 1, 2020 to September 6, 2021, plus $11,400 in stimulus payments, plus $7,200 in Child Tax Credit, totaling $69,440 in combined COVID-19 relief benefits.

The American Rescue Plan Act Greatly Expands Benefits through the Tax Code in 2021

The major tax-related benefits in the $1.9 trillion economic relief plan are a third round of direct payments, extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and a $10,200 unemployment insurance income exemption for 2020, and an expansion of the Child Tax Credit.

Marginal Tax Rates on Labor Income Under the Democratic House Ways and Means Child Tax Credit Proposal

The coronavirus relief legislation passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee would significantly expand the child tax credit for 2021, from its current $2,000 maximum to a fully refundable $3,600 for children 6 and under and $3,000 for children over 6.

Marginal Tax Rates on Labor Income Under Sen. Mitt Romney’s Family Security Act

Sen. Mitt Romney’s Family Security Act would replace the Child Tax Credit with a monthly child allowance administered by the Social Security Administration, making the benefit more generous and accessible to low-income households without earned income.

House Ways and Means Committee Takes First Steps Toward Additional Coronavirus Relief Legislation

The House Ways and Means Committee measures would further extend the relief measures created by the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and would go further by significantly expanding existing tax credits and making changes to the international tax system.

Congressional Democrats Propose Expanding Child Tax Credit as Monthly Payment for Pandemic Relief

House Ways and Means Democrats recently released a proposal to expand the child tax credit for one year as part of President Biden’s larger $1.9 trillion economic relief package.

Sen. Romney’s Child Tax Reform Proposal Aims to Expand the Social Safety Net and Simplify Tax Credits

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) recently proposed the Family Security Act, which features a new, more generous child allowance for families with children while reforming other sources of aid for low-income individuals.

Outlining a Path for Tax Policy Compromises

While a sweeping tax policy bill is unlikely in the near future, lawmakers may be able to come together on a smaller scale. Pairing better cost recovery on a permanent basis with support for vulnerable households as well as additional pandemic-related relief would help promote a more rapid return to growth and help businesses and households weather the ongoing crisis.

Navigating the 2020 Tax Extenders in the Pandemic Economy

At the end of 2020, 33 temporary tax provisions are scheduled to expire at the federal level. These provisions generally fall under four categories: cost recovery, energy, individual, and other business provisions.

2021 Tax Brackets

The IRS recently released the new 2021 tax brackets and rates. Explore updated credits, deductions, and exemptions, including the standard deduction & personal exemption, Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), capital gains brackets, qualified business income deduction (199A), and the annual exclusion for gifts.

A Carbon Tax to Make the TCJA’s Individual Provisions Permanent

Making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s individual provisions permanent combined with a carbon tax can be a revenue-neutral trade and increase the long-run size of the economy by 1 percent, making it a sustainable pro-growth option.

Republican Study Committee Workforce Plan Rethinks Education, Labor, and Welfare Tax Policy

The House Republican Study Committee released a proposal, “Reclaiming the American Dream,” which includes 118 policy recommendations to address education, labor, and welfare policy with the aim of expanding opportunity, liberty, and free enterprise for all Americans.

Refundable Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit (CTC)

Tax Credit

Phase 4 Is not the Time to Experiment with Temporary Credits

As lawmakers consider returning to the tax code as a tool to revive a struggling economy with high unemployment and an unpredictable virus, they should avoid temporary changes that can be distortive in the short term and inefficient in the long term.

Three Reasons Expanding Credits Aren’t the Best Pandemic Response for the Vulnerable

While reforming certain tax credits may make sense, there are far better ways to provide individuals and families with more liquidity during this crisis.

HEROES Act Dependent Expansions Come with Major Drawbacks

The HEROES Act adds to the confusion and instability already inherent in the tax code with multiple expiring provisions and reduced filing guidelines.