The benefits of many provisions of the individual income tax code vary depending on a taxpayer’s family status. Similarly, tax rates and brackets vary by whether taxpayers are single, married, or filing under a different status. Qualifying requirements vary across these provisions, and some combine child-related benefits with work-related benefits. While these policies are designed to help taxpayers, they add unnecessary complexity to the tax code and thus are well suited for reform.
The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made important changes to three of the primary family provisions in the tax code: the standard deduction, the personal exemption, and the child tax credit. However, further reforms could consolidate the various family-related credits into streamlined credits for children and for work and provide certainty to taxpayers by making the changes of the TCJA permanent.
This paper reviews six family-related tax provisions under current law, including how the TCJA reformed three of the primary family provisions, and examines the need for further reform.
24 APR 2024
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