Decreasing
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 2019, 15% of tax filers in the region received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), below the state and national figure of 17%. From 2011 to 2019, the region's rate has stayed steady and about 2-3 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 2019 was Ontario where 12% of filers received the credit followed by Livingston and Wyoming, both at 13%. The highest rate came in Orleans where 17% 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 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYS | 19% | 19% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 14% | 14% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 13% |
| Region | 16% | 16% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Monroe | 16% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 16% |
| Surrounding Counties | 16% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Genesee | 16% | 15% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Livingston | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 13% |
| Ontario | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 12% |
| Orleans | 18% | 18% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Seneca | 18% | 17% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Wayne | 16% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 15% |
| Wyoming | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 13% |
| Yates | 18% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
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 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYS | 1,789,721 | 1,796,780 | 1,858,860 | 1,856,910 | 1,830,540 | 1,772,540 | 1,724,380 | 1,662,390 | 1,639,680 |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 774,829 | 781,170 | 806,940 | 805,060 | 794,690 | 775,400 | 758,050 | 737,770 | 737,570 |
| Region | 93,895 | 93,820 | 95,380 | 95,730 | 94,750 | 92,410 | 90,360 | 88,180 | 88,790 |
| Monroe | 59,590 | 59,560 | 60,820 | 61,350 | 60,930 | 59,250 | 58,220 | 57,190 | 58,020 |
| Surrounding Counties | 34,305 | 34,260 | 34,560 | 34,380 | 33,820 | 33,160 | 32,140 | 30,990 | 30,770 |
| Genesee | 4,453 | 4,370 | 4,430 | 4,350 | 4,300 | 4,260 | 4,180 | 4,010 | 3,970 |
| Livingston | 4,213 | 4,220 | 4,250 | 4,250 | 4,130 | 3,910 | 3,790 | 3,630 | 3,610 |
| Ontario | 7,415 | 7,600 | 7,630 | 7,550 | 7,500 | 7,420 | 7,160 | 7,080 | 6,970 |
| Orleans | 3,409 | 3,380 | 3,450 | 3,510 | 3,450 | 3,420 | 3,320 | 3,210 | 3,190 |
| Seneca | 2,722 | 2,710 | 2,710 | 2,760 | 2,720 | 2,610 | 2,560 | 2,500 | 2,450 |
| Wayne | 7,339 | 7,290 | 7,450 | 7,320 | 7,210 | 7,080 | 6,920 | 6,540 | 6,550 |
| Wyoming | 2,797 | 2,750 | 2,750 | 2,710 | 2,650 | 2,660 | 2,520 | 2,400 | 2,370 |
| Yates | 1,957 | 1,940 | 1,890 | 1,930 | 1,860 | 1,800 | 1,690 | 1,620 | 1,660 |
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 Worse than NYS by 10% or more Up to 10% worse than NYS Equal to or better than NYS
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