skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, February 7, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Judge pauses deadline for federal workers to accept Trump's resignation offer; CA state lawmakers take action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement; Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Report: MA Should Open Earned Income Tax Credit to Working Immigrants

play audio
Play

Monday, May 17, 2021   

BOSTON -- Groups are calling on Massachusetts to open up the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to working residents who pay taxes but may not qualify for a Social Security number.

A new report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center pointed out the law requires everyone who works to pay taxes regardless of immigration status, but immigration status bars thousands of Commonwealth residents from accessing a key tax break meant for low-income working families.

Luz Arevalo, senior attorney for Greater Boston Legal Services, said the EITC disparity has existed for decades, and the pandemic put another spotlight on it for many of her clients.

"So many of these workers have the type of job that didn't stop, that didn't cease during the pandemic," Arevalo explained. "The grocery workers, the meatpackers, folks working in bakeries, some of our clients had to continue going to nursing homes."

The report noted in Massachusetts, between 18,000 and 19,000 households miss out on the Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps more than 350,000 families make ends meet, solely because they lack a Social Security number, when they would otherwise be eligible.

If even one member of a household has an Income Tax Identification Number, which the IRS provides to immigrants who cannot get a Social Security number, the entire family is excluded from the EITC program.

Massachusetts' state EITC matches 30% of the federal credit, which doesn't accept income-tax ID numbers, but Arevalo noted it doesn't mean the Commonwealth can't have different eligibility requirements.

"I really support more of the Tax ID-blind policy when it comes to figuring out how much people pay in tax but also how much benefit they should get," Arevalo asserted.

States such as California, Colorado, Maryland and New Mexico have already expanded their state earned income-tax credits to residents with either a Social Security or an income tax ID number. Washington state has a similar credit that also includes all resident taxpayers.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Opponents of a South Dakota bill that would require the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms say it would be an unfunded mandate. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A South Dakota House committee takes up a controversial bill today that would require all school districts in the state to display the Ten Commandment…


play sound

Virginia ranks third behind only Maryland and Delaware among the worst states for the average amount of back wages companies owe to their workers…

Environment

play sound

Some North Dakota school districts are part of a movement that has embraced electric school buses, but the federal funding shakeup carried out by the …


A Lumina Foundation report revealed 712,000, or almost 44% of Marion County adults, have either an associate's or bachelor's degree, or some type of professional certification. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing, according to research from Lumina Foundation. Although Hoosier …

play sound

New York State is making historic higher education investments. As part of the 2026 budget proposal, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes free community …

Gov. Josh Shapiro's Pennsylvania state budget proposal would strengthen efforts to reintroduce vocational education into Pennsylvania classrooms, with a $5.5 million boost for Career and Technical Education. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget includes a significant increase for public education to address Pennsylvania's school funding issues and …

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama nonprofits are coming together to tackle challenges that may threaten their survival, from declining donor support to shifting federal …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Consumer advocates in Maine said the availability of enhanced subsidies have helped record numbers of people get the health care coverage they need…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021