Minnesota Tax Credits for Workers and Families

Strong tax credits for lower-income Minnesotans can boost their incomes and get children off to a stronger start in life. They also contribute to a fairer tax system in Minnesota. Our work on tax credits particularly focuses on the Working Family Credit and the Renters' Credit property tax refund.

More information on our advocacy efforts to strengthen Minnesota's state tax credits is available on our Working Family Credit and Renters' Credit agenda pages.

Research

February 2020

Who receives the Renters' Credit? (TY 2016)

Through property tax refunds for homeowners and renters, Minnesota helps bring down one of the costs of housing and creates a more equitable tax system overall. This issue brief provides data about the Renters' Credit for each Minnesota county and for the state as a whole.

February 2020

Who receives the Working Family Credit? (TY 2017)

Minnesota’s Working Family Tax Credit encourages and supports work, makes the tax system more equitable, and helps working people across the state to meet their basic needs and support their families. This issue brief provides information about the importance of the Working Family Credit to each Minnesota county.

April 2019

Prioritize Minnesota workers and their families by expanding the Working Family Credit

Everyday, many hard-working families across Minnesota struggle to make ends meet. We also know that the state's future economic success depends on more Minnesotans participating in the workforce. A stronger Working Family Credit would support the work efforts of hundreds of thousands of working Minnesotans, get Minnesota children off to a stronger start, and make Minnesota taxes more equitable.

March 2018

Who receives the Working Family Credit? (TY 2015)

In 2015, more than 330,000 households received the Working Family Credit, which is more than 12 percent of all Minnesota households that file state income taxes in Minnesota. This state tax credit encourages and supports work, makes the tax system fairer, and helps working people all across the state meet their basic needs and support their families. About half of all workers and families that receive the credit live in Greater Minnesota, and half in the Twin Cities metro area. This issue brief includes information about the Working Family Credit for each Minnesota county.

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Tax Credits Blog Posts

May 28, 2024

2024 Legislature passes improvements in Child Tax Credit, tax-filing process

The Minnesota Legislature passed some investments in Minnesota families’ economic well-being and improving their tax-filing experience in this year’s final tax legislation, including essential provisions for successful implementation of advance payments of the Child Tax Credit. Here’s a look at how our priorities for the tax bill fared this session.

May 13, 2024

Child Tax Credit and tax-filing improvements in play in final 2024 tax negotiations

Minnesota policymakers could be less than two weeks away from enacting into law innovations and improvements in the Child Tax Credit and Minnesotans’ tax-filing experience. Here's a closer look at the issues we are watching and how they are treated in Walz’s tax plan, the House tax bill, and Senate tax bill. Tax negotiators will need to reach agreement and pass final tax legislation before the legislative session ends on May 20.

May 03, 2024

Direct File could save Minnesotans time and money when filing income taxes

Paying taxes is how we come together to fund public services that Minnesotans value and count on, but with our current system, the majority of folks pay to meet their tax-filing responsibilities. Direct File is a free online tool to file and prepare income taxes, and Minnesota can build on positive federal progress on making this option available. Read our blog to learn about how a Direct File system would benefit Minnesotans by saving time, money, and improving access to tax credits.

March 26, 2024

Governor Walz’s supplemental budget proposal lays out his priorities

Governor Tim Walz released his governor’s supplemental budget proposal. The administration described the priorities for his budget as safe communities, clean drinking water, and support for children and families. At the Minnesota Budget Project, we were thrilled that one of our top priorities was included in the governor’s supplemental budget: resources to implement advance periodic payments of the Child Tax Credit. In total, Walz proposed $200 million in net general fund spending increases and revenue reductions in FY 2024-25 and $27 million in FY 2026-27.

More Tax Credits Blogs