Georgia | Some of highest income taxes on the working poor

Tuesday is the last day to file state and federal income tax returns. The deadline comes near the release of a report by the Washington-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which says Georgia levies some of the nation’s highest income taxes on the working poor.

The report says Georgia is one of only 15 states that taxes families of four living at the federal poverty line or making approximately $23,000 a year, and one of only five to tax families of four with incomes of just above $17,000. Phil Oliff is a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

“Taxing working poor families makes it harder for them to pay for basic needs like food, clothing and transportation. It makes it harder to pay for work-related expenses like child care expenses, and it’s bad for states’ economies.”

Alan Essig with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute says the report highlights the need for action. He says Georgia should help the working poor by enacting an earned income tax credit.

“It’s something that encourages work. It’s something that puts more money back into the pocket of folks who are more apt to spend it.”

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says the state could also aid the working poor by increasing tax exemptions.

Source:

Read More @ Report: Georgia levies some of highest income taxes on the working poor | Public Broadcasting Atlanta.

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