FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 02, 2025
Contact: Emma Bittner
(972) 510-3395 | Emma.Bittner@younginvincibles.org
Young Invincibles and Columbia University Release Report Outlining Critical Impact EITC Expansion Will Have on Young Adults
(Washington, DC) – Today, Young Invincibles and the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University released Retooling the Childless EITC to Better Support Young Adults, a joint report that examines the current structure of the childless Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the financial profile of young adults who are currently excluded, and the potential income and anti-poverty effects of expanding the childless EITC to include adults aged 18 and older, as well as increasing the value of the credit itself.
With many of the individual and family tax provisions of the 2017 large-scale tax package, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), expiring this year, the country is engaged in a national debate on the future of tax policy. This tax debate offers an opportunity to consider how to design tax policy that better supports young adults. Young adults have historically been excluded from key tax policies that support low-wage workers, particularly the EITC, despite facing similar financial challenges, such as meeting basic needs and saving money, especially during rising living costs.
It is vital that policymakers reform the childless EITC to include all low-income workers. A permanent expansion of the childless EITC is a crucial way to support young adults’ economic security, promote work, and enhance their opportunities for economic mobility in the labor market.
In response, Alex Lundrigan, Higher Education and Workforce Policy and Advocacy Manager at Young Invincibles said:
“Young adults have consistently been overlooked and treated as an afterthought in tax policy making. This year presents a unique opportunity to evaluate and reshape our tax system to better serve the American people. It would be a massive oversight by Congress if these new tax policies continue to exclude childless young adults from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is crucial for supporting young low-wage workers by helping them meet their basic needs and gain financial independence. Expanding the EITC is not only an essential step in fostering economic opportunity for young adults, but it is truly the bare minimum to support their future success.”
In response, Anastasia Koutavas, Research Analyst at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University said:
“Compared to all other age groups, young adults consistently experience some of the highest rates of poverty. This is because they are excluded from critical income supports, like the childless Earned Income Tax Credit, as they navigate their transition into adulthood. Our report finds that young adults struggle with many of the same economic challenges as older adults, including rent and debt burdens, and yet, 18-24-year-olds are excluded from policies like the childless EITC simply because of their age. Expanding the childless EITC to include young adults is a first step towards reducing young adult poverty, but improving the credit structure by offering a greater benefit can go even further to support young adults.”
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Young Invincibles (YI) is a national advocacy and policy nonprofit organization focused on amplifying the voice of young people in the political process at the local, state, and federal levels. YI focuses on issues impacting young adults ages 18 to 34 in higher education, health care, economic security, and civic engagement. Our offices include Washington, D.C., California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Texas. For more information, please contact Emma Bittner at (972) 510-3395 or emma.bittner@younginvincibles.org
The Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University School of Social Work produces actionable research to advance our understanding of poverty and the role of social policy in reducing poverty and promoting economic security, opportunity, and well-being in New York City and the United States. For the center’s latest work and policy briefs, visit povertycenter.columbia.edu. Email at cpsp@columbia.edu. Sign up for research updates.