Tax Day is this Monday (May 17th). I know… it really crept up on me too!

This is the perfect opportunity for us to spread the word about our values, our concerns, and what our families really, truly need: a tax code that supports families, women, and communities of color, NOT the super wealthy and mega-corporations who have profited off of this pandemic.

***Take action this Tax Day! Send a letter to the editor today (so it’s published in time for Tax Day) to your local paper outlining the types of tax policies we need Congress to pass in the next recovery package! (Don’t worry—our cool tool makes it super easy for you to submit a letter to your local paper. We’ll walk you through all the steps and even supply sample language!)

Just in time for Tax Day, President Biden has proposed major changes to our tax code that will make sure that the super wealthy and mega-corporations pay their fair share, while at the same time creating the funding we need to pay for vital programs for our families like universal childcare, paid leave for all, and a permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit.

President Biden’s tax proposals in the American Recovery Plan and the American Family Plan are targeted (no one making $400,000 or less would face higher tax bills), fair (raises $700 billion alone just from making sure the IRS can stop big corporations and the super wealthy who are cheating on their taxes) and starts to correct so many of the wrongs our existing tax code has inflicted on working families, women, and communities of color. [1]

In addition, it starts us in the right direction to build upon the success of the American Rescue Plan, passed earlier this year, which greatly expanded the Child Tax Credit. How historic was this expansion of the Child Tax Credit? It is expected to cut child poverty in half over the next year, and provides $3600/year for every child aged 0-5, and $3000/year for every child aged 6-17. And starting in July, parents can start getting those payments monthly. But now we need Congress to make this expansion of the Child Tax Credit permanent so our families can continue to thrive, even after this COVID crisis is over! [2]

***All of this is why it is SO important for you to take action now and submit a letter to the editor to your local paper! (Once you click on this link we’ll walk you through the fast steps to submit a letter to your local paper, including providing sample language).

Why do letters to the editor matter so much? Simply put—U.S. Senators and Representatives read their local papers to monitor what their constituents care about! By submitting a letter, you are helping us raise the profile on this very important issue and let your elected leaders know that we expect Congress to pass these provisions in the next recovery package.

Don’t worry—sending a Letter to the Editor is super easy! When you click on this link, we’ll lead you through a quick process to write a Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper. This tool is pretty magical—you can easily edit our pre-drafted letter, if you wish (inserting your personal story if you have one!), and send it to your paper with just a few clicks.

The pre-drafted letter (which you can edit when you click through to the link!) simply says:

“This Tax Day our elected leaders need to finally do right by our community and economy by passing tax policies that lift up working families, women, and communities of color, not the super wealthy and mega-corporations. It is long past time for those who have the most to pay their fair share!

The super wealthy and mega-corporations are flourishing more than ever, while working families are struggling with unemployment, lost wages, and the ravages of a public health crisis. Rather than cut supports that families turn to when times are tough, we should raise revenue to invest in our shared success by making the super-wealthy pay their fair share in taxes. Passing President Biden’s American Recovery Plan and American Family Plan would go a long way to start to fix our unfair tax code and provide the funding we so desperately need for programs like universal childcare, paid leave for all, healthcare, and nutrition programs.

Struggling families need these programs and need money in our pockets, which is why Congress must also make the improvements to the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) passed in the American Rescue Plan permanent. These temporary improvements to the Child Tax Credit alone cut child poverty in half! We need to keep that momentum going so our families can thrive. This isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s how we boost our economy for everyone.”

**Help us spread the word that we need a tax code for all, not just the super wealthy and mega-corporations. Send a letter to the editor today so it will be published in time for Tax Day (May 17th).

Thank you so much for continuing to take action on these important issues! After you send your own letter to the editor, please forward this email to your friends and family and encourage them to send one as well. You also can post our action link on social media so people can take action as well: https://action.momsrising.org/lte/TaxDay2021_LTE

Thank you for all you do to lift up our families and economy.

P.S. Want to do one more thing to lift up our families? Help spread the word on why it’s so important to file your taxes this year. Check out our fun and informative new video with America Ferrera, Alyssa Milano, members of Congress, and a ton of cute kids explaining how to get the improved Child Tax Credit and how to file your taxes (for free!) this year. After you watch the video, help spread the word by sharing it with three of your mom friends.

References:

[1] Americans For Tax Fairness. “Biden’s American Families Plan Would Boost Services for Working Families By Taxing the Wealthy.”
[2] Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “The Expanded Child Tax Credit Must Be Permanent and Monthly.”