Number: RS21477
Title: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Legislative Issues
Authors: Christine Scott, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: The Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-311) created a more uniform definition of a child for tax purposes (beginning in tax year 2005), and temporarily altered the EITC to permit taxpayers to include combat pay as income for calculating the credit. The Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-73) will provide temporary fiscal assistance to low-income families affected by Hurricane Katrina by allowing them to use tax year 2004 income to compute their tax year 2005 EITC. The Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-135) extended the option to include combat pay in calculating the EITC through tax year 2006, extended the use of 2004 income in calculating 2005 EITC to taxpayers affected by Hurricane Rita, and clarified that the option to use 2004 income in calculating the tax year 2005 EITC was only available if income for 2005 was lower than for 2004. The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-432) extended the option to include combat pay in calculating the EITC through tax year 2007. Legislation has been introduced in the 110th Congress that would expand the credit to residents of Puerto Rico, create a new level of credit for families with three or more children, provide additional marriage penalty relief, expand usage of the advance payment option for the EITC, or make permanent the election to include combat pay for purposes of computing the EITC.
Pages: 6
Date: January 3, 2008