Learn more about the Child Tax Credit, including the latest research and analysis of new proposals to expand it.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
While reforming certain tax credits may make sense, there are far better ways to provide individuals and families with more liquidity during this crisis.
The HEROES Act adds to the confusion and instability already inherent in the tax code with multiple expiring provisions and reduced filing guidelines.
The HEROES Act would make notable expansions to all three dependent-related credits, increasing maximum credit amounts, refundability, and income eligibility phaseouts. Practically, this means that certain filers could expect to receive a larger refund for each additional hour of work, eligible dependent, and dependent care expenses if the bill became law.