Maintaining
What does this measure?
The proportion of people filing taxes who receive the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
Why is this important?
The tax credit helps low-income individuals and families by reducing the taxes they pay or in some cases providing refunds. When the credit exceeds the amount of taxes owed, qualified filers receive a federal refund. The number of filers receiving the credit is one measure of the number of working poor people in a region, though not everyone who would qualify for the credit claims it.
How is our region performing?
In 2016, 16% of tax filers in the region received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), below the state and national figure of 18%. From 2011 to 2016, the region's rate has stayed steady and about 2 percentage points lower than the statewide rate.
The rate of tax filers receiving the EITC did not vary much among the counties in the region. The county with the lowest rate in 2016 was in Livingston and Ontario, where 14% of filers received the credit. The highest rate came in Orleans where 19% of filers received the credit.
Notes about the data
People must claim the credit to receive it; therefore, these numbers do not reflect the number of people eligible for the credit. The IRS and other experts estimate that between 80 and 85 percent of those who are eligible for the credit claim it. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter, with a two-year lag.
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 19% | 19% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| NYS | 19% | 19% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 14% | 14% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| Region | 16% | 16% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Monroe | 16% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 16% |
| Surrounding Counties | 16% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 15% |
| Genesee | 16% | 15% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Livingston | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| Ontario | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% |
| Orleans | 18% | 18% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| Seneca | 18% | 17% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Wayne | 16% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 16% |
| Wyoming | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Yates | 18% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 16% |
Notes: Figures represent EITC participation out of all tax filers. Filers must claim the credit. These data do not show the number of people eligible for the credit.
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 27,917,759 | 27,745,410 | 28,452,560 | 28,207,380 | 27,972,330 | 27,295,960 |
| NYS | 1,789,721 | 1,796,780 | 1,858,860 | 1,856,910 | 1,830,540 | 1,772,540 |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 774,829 | 781,170 | 806,940 | 805,060 | 794,690 | 775,400 |
| Region | 93,895 | 93,820 | 95,380 | 95,730 | 94,750 | 92,410 |
| Monroe | 59,590 | 59,560 | 60,820 | 61,350 | 60,930 | 59,250 |
| Surrounding Counties | 34,305 | 34,260 | 34,560 | 34,380 | 33,820 | 33,160 |
| Genesee | 4,453 | 4,370 | 4,430 | 4,350 | 4,300 | 4,260 |
| Livingston | 4,213 | 4,220 | 4,250 | 4,250 | 4,130 | 3,910 |
| Ontario | 7,415 | 7,600 | 7,630 | 7,550 | 7,500 | 7,420 |
| Orleans | 3,409 | 3,380 | 3,450 | 3,510 | 3,450 | 3,420 |
| Seneca | 2,722 | 2,710 | 2,710 | 2,760 | 2,720 | 2,610 |
| Wayne | 7,339 | 7,290 | 7,450 | 7,320 | 7,210 | 7,080 |
| Wyoming | 2,797 | 2,750 | 2,750 | 2,710 | 2,650 | 2,660 |
| Yates | 1,957 | 1,940 | 1,890 | 1,930 | 1,860 | 1,800 |
Notes: Filers must claim the credit. These data do not show the number of people eligible for the credit.
Worse than NYS by 10% or more
Up to 10% worse than NYS
Equal to or better than NYS| INDICATORS - Grouped by Topic | REGIONAL VALUE | YEAR | NYS COMPARISON | TREND | REGION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disengaged Youth, Ages 16 to 19 | 6% | 2013-17 |
3
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Median Household Income | $54,972 | 2013-17 |
1
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity | 2013-17 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
| People Living in Poverty | 14% | 2013-17 |
3
|
1
Increasing
|
| People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity | 2013-17 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
| Public Assistance Recipients | 2.6% | 2017 |
3
|
0
Maintaining
|
| Approval Rate for Public Assistance Applications | 26% | 2017 | 0 |
-1
Decreasing
|
| Households Receiving SNAP | 14% | 2013-17 |
3
|
1
Increasing
|
| Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity | 2013-17 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
| Tax Filers Receiving Earned Income Tax Credit | 16% | 2016 |
3
|
0
Maintaining
|
| EITC Dollars | $177 | 2016 |
1
|
1
Increasing
|
Worse than NYS by 10% or more Up to 10% worse than NYS Equal to or better than NYS
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