Refundable tax credits for working people take center stage 

Policy Matters celebrates Tax Day with district-specific analysis 

In 2023, Ohioans were refunded a total of $2.9 billion on their federal taxes through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). According to new analysis from Policy Matters Ohio, over 818,000 Ohioans claimed the EITC and 1.3 million Ohioans claimed the CTC that year. The statewide findings accompany three new sets of district-specific factsheets about the credits’ impact in each Congressional, state Senate, and state House district in Ohio. 

As the state Senate prepares to take up biennial budget legislation, Policy Matters Ohio, Northeast Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equality (NOBLE), and the Care Economy Organizing (CEO) Project held a press event to highlight opportunities to make the state tax code work better for Ohio’s working families. A full recording of the event is available here. 

Bailey Williams, Tax Researcher, Policy Matters Ohio: 

“After two decades of income tax cuts that primarily benefited the rich, our state tax system is completely upside-down. The bottom 20% of Ohio earners currently pay twice the share of their income in state and local taxes compared to the top 1%. Tax Day is an annual reminder that it doesn’t have to be this way. The federal EITC and CTC are examples of how tax policy can benefit working families. Ohio should modernize our EITC and adopt a refundable CTC to do the same.” 

Lauren Schenk, Organizer, Northeast Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equality (NOBLE) 

“The state finds ways to pay for things like new stadiums or voucher programs instead of public education and libraries. Creating these refundable tax credits put money into the pockets of those who need it most.” 

Tami Lunan, Director, Care Economy Organizing (CEO) Project 

Poverty is a policy choice. If we really want to see children thrive, we need to invest in families and give them a hand up in reaching their version of the American dream. The CTC allows families to reimagine their lives.