Dear EITC Funders Network, |
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Since 2004, the EITC Funders Network has been working with our members and partners to increase access to tax credits for individuals and families with low and moderate income, shine a light on predatory practices and increase equity in our tax code. Originally a working group of the Economic Opportunity Funders Network (formerly GIST), we have continued to grow our membership and make connection across a broad ecosystem of funders and field partners.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to being a value add by being responsive to the needs of our membership and improving over time. To that end, we have some BIG NEWS to announce. After careful consideration and consultation with our steering committee, members and key partners, next month, we will be changing our name and recentering the network! As a part of the rebrand, you can expect the following changes to launch next month:
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Name Change- Our new name will be the Tax Equity Funders Network which clearly describes our North Star as a network.
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Updated Mission and Refined Focus Areas- Our mission is getting a refresh and we have new language to describe our focus areas so we better describe our current work and the work we anticipate doing in the future.
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A New Website & Look- We will launch a new website with a new look. Our goal is to improve the user experience, streamline the information on our website and make resources easier to find.
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Monthly Network Updates- This will be our last Quarterly Newsletter. We will transition from publishing a Quarterly Newsletter to sending out monthly updates so we can share information from the network and our partners in a more timely fashion. We plan to share news, job postings and other opportunities from our members in the new Monthly Network Update emails.
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Member Spotlight- Our new Member Spotlight feature will highlight members and the work they are doing to improve equity in the tax code and access to tax credits. We hope this feature will help our membership to learn more about each other and make meaningful connections.
In this issue of the newsletter, we are sharing news from the field, updates from the network and information about upcoming events. You will also find a preview of our new logo below.
Please take a moment to learn more about our next in-person session, taking place on April 19th in Arlington, VA. We hope that you can join us for our Shaping the Future Forum to learn more about the work ahead and the rebranding of the network.
Thank you for being a valued member of this network and your continued commitment to expanding access to tax credits across the country and for your membership in the EITC Funders Network. We are so excited about what is in store for us all TOGETHER!
Sincerely,
Ami & Deneisha
EITC Funders Network
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A Sneak Peak!
We are becoming the
Tax Equity Funders Network
We will be rolling out our new name, website and branding next month. We are so excited to share more about the changes with the network and our partners in the coming weeks! In the meantime, join us in-person at our Shaping the Future Forum on April 19th in Arlington, VA (see details in the Event section below) to learn more. Be sure to keep an eye on your email for our announcement and website launch in April.
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2025 Tax Debate Begins, Offers Opportunity for Course Correction- "A high-stakes tax debate will begin this year, accelerate through the presidential campaign, and likely culminate with legislative action in 2025. This debate provides an opportunity to correct our course — moving away from the flawed trickle-down path of the 2017 tax law and toward a tax code that raises more needed revenues, is more progressive and equitable, and supports investments that make the economy work for everyone."
Read the full blog post here.
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IRS to release report on free online tax-filing system in May- The IRS is aiming to release its potential plans for a free online tax-filing system by May, the agency announced Wednesday.
The Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping economic reform bill signed by President Biden last year, ordered the IRS to conduct a study on how Americans could file their taxes online through a federal website or program without cost. “The IRS is on track to deliver a direct file report to Congress in May 2023,” the agency said in a statement.
The IRS said it’s working with nonprofit organization New America to develop the report on the potential new system, which could take the form of an app or web platform that allows people to file a tax return directly with the IRS.
Read the full article here.
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New Evidence on Racial Disparities in IRS Audit Selection Calls for Immediate Action
A new report by The Tax Law Center at NYU Law reviews and responds to the recent working paper by academic and Treasury researchers that found that Black tax filers are 2.9 to 4.7 times as likely to be audited by the IRS as non-Black tax filers.
Read the full report here.
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The White House Releases President Joe Biden's 2024 Fiscal Year Budget- The budget reinstates the federal Child Tax Credit’s (CTC) 2021 expansion, making it permanently refundable. The proposal aims to increase the value of the federal CTC from $2,000 to $3,000 per child ages six and above, and to $3,600 per child under six. Additionally, the proposal includes the permanent expansion of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to benefit workers without children.
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Innovation Briefs- The EITC Funders Network and Prosperity hosted a series of conversations with field partners and funders during the Summer and Fall of 2022 to generate a range of ideas focused on innovations that help low- and moderate-income people access all available credits, reduce hurdles to getting their taxes completed and expand capacity of free and non-predatory tax services. These ideas are now being brought together in a series of short innovation briefs written by field leaders and will be published in the Spring.
Get a preview of the papers and discuss innovations with the brief writers at our upcoming Shaping the Future Summit. Learn more below!
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A Scan of the Tax Credit Access Ecosystem in California with Blue Shield of California- California has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that more low- and moderate-income tax payers are receiving all the state and federal tax credits for which they are eligible. In fall 2022, the EITC Funders network partnered with the Blue Shield of California Foundation to undertake a scan of the California tax credit ecosystem. The inquiry yielded a wealth of information about the major field and funder players, the challenges of reaching eligible taxpayers—especially those in BIPOC, marginalized, and rural communities—and the opportunities to weave greater connection within both the funder and CBO communities. It also elevated a broad set of questions that need to be answered to increase the number of low- and moderate-income families who have access to California tax credits. Funders may use this information to better understand the tax credit landscape in California and as a part of their strategic grantmaking discussions.
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It is said that without a vision for our future we will always return to our past.
If the pandemic taught us anything it is that significant movements in policy can happen in a short period of time if there is urgency and vision.
Our tax code is the unsung hero of economic support for low-income workers and families. While progress has been made to expand tax credits, the systems of support to help families take advantage of them is, at best, not reaching its potential and at worst, deeply inequitable and inefficient.
What is the vision for the system of supports that enable families to access these important tax benefits and achieve economic security? Join the EITC Funders Network and other futurists to learn about significant, future focused ideas that could transform how families access tax credits and receive economic support. The meeting will draw on a soon-to-be-published series of provocative briefs written by field experts that answer the question: What are innovations that would dramatically improve the ability of low- and moderate-income taxpayers to access all the tax benefits there are eligible for? This future-focused gathering will include discussions with field leaders on these innovations and roundtable discussion with like-minded funders to outline action steps.
Featured Speakers
- Erin Currier, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Sam Hammond, Niskanen Center
- Robin McKinney, CASH Campaign
- David Newville, Code for America
- Nina Olsen, Center for Taxpayer Rights
- Leigh Phillips, SaverLife
- Bryndan Stueve, United Way Worldwide
- Melanie Styles, Abell Foundation
Participation in this meeting is limited to staff
of philanthropic organizations and philanthropic advisors.
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April 20, 2023 | Arlington, VA
Public budgets are one of the most important policy instruments of our government. They are moral document that reflects our values and priorities through decisions on how to tax residents and businesses and spend these collective resources. These decisions impact what families have to spend on basic needs and invest in their future, define the size of the government and its role in the national economy, and affect the lives of all Americans.
EOF hosts an annual Budget and Tax Briefing to provide funders and philanthropic advisors with a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss why federal and state budget and tax work matters to national, state and local philanthropy.
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About the EITC Funders Network
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The EITC Funders Network brings together funders interested in the Earned Income Tax Credit, free- and low-cost tax preparation, and asset building. The Network seeks to increase awareness of EITC-related projects, foster collaboration, share information about the current status of EITC-related work, and help shape the future of the field.
The EITC Funders Network is generously funded by:
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Blue Shield of California Foundation
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Wellspring Philanthropic Fund
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