The SC Association for Community Economic Development along with many partner advocates worked for years to lower taxes on low-wage South Carolinians and their families through a refundable state-level EITC worth 20 percent of the federal credit.
On May 11, 2017 a nonrefundable EITC worth 125% of the federal credit was tacked on to the "Roads" bill by Democratic lawmakers in an attempt to mitigate the burden of a proposed gas tax on lower-income workers. Governor Henry McMaster (R) vetoed the legislation on Wednesday for reasons unrelated to the EITC, but the legislature overrode his veto today, and the bill goes into effect July 1.
"Although the enactment of a state-level EITC will bring much-needed tax relief to many low-wage South Carolinians, the credit could benefit many more if it were eventually made refundable. Those earning the least owe little to no income tax and are often unable to benefit from nonrefundable EITCs, despite paying other taxes like sales and payroll. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, only about 2% of South Carolinians with the lowest incomes (below $21,000) will benefit from the new EITC. Eventually making the credit refundable would help more of these families make ends meet. to sustain and enhance their programs, activities, and services." - Tax Credits for Workers and Their Families (TCWF)
County Health Rankings Released
The annual County Health Rankings will be released on March 29th. The health of nearly all counties in the nation is measured and then ranked within the states. The rankings are compiled using county-level measures from a variety of national and state data sources. This valuable tool enables you to view an overview and comparison of South Carolina's counties complete with downloads of relative documents dating back to 2010.
The rankings are based on a model of population health that emphasizes the many factors that, if improved, can help make communities healthier places to live, learn, work and play. Building on the work of America's Health Rankings, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has used this model to rank the health of Wisconsin’s counties every year since 2003.
City of Columbia Employees Participate in Poverty Disaster Simulation
On February 3rd, City of Columbia employees were invited to participate in a poverty simulation to help people better understand the complicated life one lives when in poverty. The event was coordinated by the American Bar Association and held at the South Carolina Bar Conference Center. Members of the Columbia legal community were also in attendance including students and faculty and staff from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
The simulation lasted 2.5 hours and was broken up into five “weeks,” with each week lasting approximately 15 minutes. Attendees were given character profiles which included their character’s name and a brief backstory of their experiences. They were then broken into teams, or "families", and had the goal of meeting their families’ most basic needs. Volunteers took on roles as bank representatives, social service workers, day-care providers, legal aid attorneys, grocers and employers, all offering services or goods the families needed to survive.
The following video highlights the simulation in February, and more detailed information can be found in this article.
2017 VITA Awareness Day
March 15, 2017, is VITA Awareness Day. Each year, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program puts billions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income taxpayers nationwide. In 2015, CFED launched their first-ever VITA Awareness Day to call attention to the importance of VITA programs in the communities they serve. CFED has engaged partners and advocates, like SCACED, across the country to help raise the profile of community tax preparation.
Below are some interesting data points that CFED has shared in regards to VITA programs in South Carolina. During the 2015 filing season alone, they:
- Stimulated the local economy by helping taxpayers receive $39,589,030 in tax refunds – which will be recirculated in the state
- Filed more than 39,288 federal tax returns and 39,685 state tax returns
- Helped hard-working families file 8,842 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) claims for a total of $12,030,053 – and in the process, given that the average EITC tax filer spends $400 on tax preparation, saved low-income EITC taxpayers approx. $3,536,800 that would have otherwise been spent on paid tax preparers
- Helped 3,746 struggling families receive a total of $4,617,146 to offset childcare expenses and better support their children
The CFED believes that promoting community tax preparation is especially important in South Carolina since Senator Tim Scott sits on the Senate Finance committee that is instrumental to advancing federal VITA legislation. To support these efforts, you can contact Senator Scott and encourage him to co-sponsor S. 193, the VITA bill that would increase access to VITA services for low-income and under-served populations.
Member Survey
Local, regional and national corporations and foundations are looking to SCACED and its members to form strategic and ongoing partnerships within the Community Economic Development (CED) industry which provide innovative and sustainable solutions for low-wealth communities in South Carolina. As such, we often receive inquiries regarding our member organizations’ programs, services and geographic areas.
Access to capital and increasing organizational capacity are benefits of SCACED membership, and we are actively working to foster collaboration between our members and strategic partners. Therefore, we have created a member survey which will help us to more accurately define your work, the services you provide and your geographic area. Our hope is that this will result in more opportunities for you to build sustainable relationships with financial partners.
In order to provide the most accurate data for what categories your organization fits, we ask that all members complete the following survey with your up-to-date organization information. Even better, those who complete the survey will be eligible to win one (1) of two (2) complimentary registrations for the Opportunity SC 2017 Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC, from September 13-15th (a $275 value)*.
Start the Survey
The survey should take no more than 8 minutes.
*Two (2) complimentary registrations are available. Only one (1) entry per active SCACED member organization. Prizes cover only the Opportunity SC 2017 Conference registration. Winners are responsible for both travel to and from the Opportunity SC 2017 Conference and accommodations at the Opportunity SC 2017 Conference. Must complete the Member Program Data Survey and Survey Registration to be eligible. Completed surveys and entries must be submitted no later than Sunday, March 26. Winners will be announce on Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Winning prizes have no cash value. Prizes are transferable. Good luck!
Please email Kenley@scaced.org if you have any questions. Thank you so much for your participation. Not a SCACED member? Learn more about member benefits.