Minnesota Budget Bites

A recent report asserts that many profitable U.S. companies pay a lower effective corporate income tax rate than the federal tax rate of 21 percent, mainly because of the loopholes that have been left in place or introduced in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As components of the TCJA are due to expire in 2025, policymakers should reconsider whether profitable corporations are doing their part to fund crucial public services that everyday folks across the country value and count on.

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.

Congress is considering passing an important expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit that would benefit about 16 million children in low-income families across the US. But it's not a sure thing yet. We've included a link in the blog to email your representatives today, urging them to pass an expanded CTC and reduce poverty among the nation's children.

Thanks in part to improvements policymakers made to the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC), recent U.S. Census data show that from 2019 to 2021, child poverty fell a remarkable 59 percent. Minnesota policymakers should build on that success and create a state Child Tax Credit.