Connect to collect: lessons learned from a Utah school-based intervention to increase take-up of the EITC

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is an important economic safety net for many working families across America. Enacted in 1975, the credit provides credit to low- and moderate-income households with labor income. Receipt of the EITC has been demonstrated to provide substantial benefits to direct recipients, benefits that cascade intergenerationally, and benefits for communities in which recipients reside. The full potential of the EITC has not been realized because of a relatively low participation rate. In this paper, we describe a framework designed to increase participation in the EITC and the results of pilot testing that utilized this framework in Utah. Overall, our work suggests that schools might work best as locations for EITC take-up interventions when family engagement centers are present. Our recommendation is to use these structures as effective outreach.