The National Community Tax Coalition currently has three policy priorities:
1. Protect the EITC from any cuts
2. Promote a federal funding stream for free tax preparation
3. Tax fairness for immigrants.
1. Victory! EITC Safe From Cuts For Now
In a tough budget environment, the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees passed their FY 2006 budget reconciliation bills without any EITC cuts! National Community Tax Coalition affiliates generated over 1,400 letters to over 40 percent of the members of Congress in the last six months, along with innumerable phone calls, visits to members, and more, asking for No Cuts to the EITC! Thanks to you, neither chamber ended up seriously considering cuts!
We will monitor the FY2007 budget process for any potential EITC cuts.
Join the Tax Year 2006 Congressional EITC Outreach Campaign. Click here.
Visit your Representatives and Senators
Tell them how great your programs and the EITC are. Click here to find your Representative and their contact information.
Tips to Engage Members of Congress in Your Free Tax Assistance Campaign
[Word, 109KB]
Create a Handout for your Member of Congress
Here is a handy toolkit to get you started. First, a template for gathering all of the essential EITC data for your state and congressional district [Word, 50KB], and, to fill in the template, a chart with necessary EITC data. [Excel, 120KB, posted 7/5/05]
2. Promote a federal funding stream for free tax preparation
Success! Major Step Towards Federal Funding of Community Tax Prep
We had outstanding success on our mid-March campaign asking Senators to support funding for community tax preparation programs. Twenty-six Senators, including three Republicans, signed on to the Appropriations Committee letter sponsored by Sen. Durbin. Over one-quarter of the Senate signed on—an excellent result for a first-time sign-on letter!
Thanks to the over 250 of our affiliates who wrote and called your Senators! You made all the difference! Click here to see the actual letter and here to see the list of Senators who signed on. Read about what is at stake. There will be a chance in the future to have your Senator weigh in in favor of the appropriation even if they didn’t sign the letter—we will keep you updated.
Talking Points
Senate Bill S832 promotes funding for free tax preparation. View arguments for funding here.
3. Speak out for immigrants
Now (August, 2006) is the time to be heard on immigration issues! Members of Congress are holding hearings around the country, there’s a lot of news coverage, and if you want to let your voice be heard.
Both the House and Senate immigration reform bills have serious flaws regarding tax implications for immigrants. This is a question of simple fairness—Immigrants should get the tax credits they have worked for and earned.
Letters to the Editor
Please submit this letter to your local paper! It’s easy—just make any changes you want, and click here for the link to your local paper.
We have two similar letters with word counts appropriate for guideline maximums of 150 or 250, depending on your local paper’s requirements.
Hearings
There may be an immigration hearing coming up in your community! Click here to find a list of hearing locations and dates. If you wish to go to a hearing, you can take these talking points with you.
Please contact eschafer@centerforprogress.org if you need anything else to aid you in submitting a letter! Also, if you can let us know if you submitted a letter or attended a hearing, that would be great.
|
