Sacramento, CA — Prosper California, a coalition of policy experts and community organizations, was joined by California legislators and advocates today to celebrate ten years of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) in helping Californians make ends meet and pay for the soaring costs of everyday basics. The powerful anti-poverty tool has returned more than $7 billion in cash to California families and people with low incomes over the last decade.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Prosper California, a leading statewide advocacy coalition dedicated to building economic prosperity and equity for all, commended Governor Gavin Newsom for maintaining investments in anti-poverty tax credits as part of his January state budget proposal for FY 25-26. As California’s poverty rates worsen, advocates say that state leaders must continue to build and strengthen proven tax credit solutions, including the CalEITC, Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC), Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC), and the Free Tax Preparation Assistance (FTPA) and Outreach & Education (O&E) program to reduce California’s affordability crisis.

Prosper California, formerly the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) Coalition, applauded the announcement of a budget agreement between Governor Newsom and the State Legislators which largely protects critical investments in children, families, and equity for immigrant communities. The anti-poverty coalition praised California leadership’s approach to closing the budget shortfall while maintaining family-supporting investments in CalWORKs, health care, child care, and tax credits which are all critical to prevent families and individuals from falling into poverty, and urged state leaders to fully restore historic funding for Free Tax Preparation Assistance, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number Application Support, and Education and Outreach (FTPA, ITIN, E&O) at $20 million.

Prosper California, formerly the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) Coalition, a leading statewide anti-poverty coalition of service providers, labor, community and faith-based organizations, responded to Governor Newsom’s May Revision budget proposal. Anti-poverty advocates are urging state policymakers to reject the Administration’s proposed cuts to the Safety Net Reserve and anti-poverty programs, including cuts to Free Tax Preparation Assistance (FTPA) and Education and Outreach (E&O) and Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) Application Assistance.