Sen. McDonald Rivet’s Long-Championed Tax Relief Going To 700,000 Michigan Households in February  - Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet

Dec 14, 2023 | Press Release

LANSING, Mich. (Dec. 14, 2023) — Today, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her administration will disperse the Earned Income for Working Families Tax Credit ahead of schedule, which will allow more than 700,000 Michigan families to receive tax rebate checks averaging approximately $550 starting on February 13, 2024. This extra tax credit comes as a result of the successful effort to quintuple Michigan’s match of the Earned Income Tax Credit from 6% to 30%, spearheaded by State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City). In response, Sen. McDonald Rivet issued the following statement:

“Michiganders needed us to go big and we did. Expanding this tax credit from 6% to 30% was my day one priority because I knew how meaningful it would be. Families hit hardest by inflation will get an average of $3,150 back in their pockets from the combined credits. Research shows that families mostly use their refunds to pay for necessities like food and childcare, or to pay for advanced education or training. Every child and hard-working family deserves stability and I firmly believe we’re delivering that.”

“Having championed the Working Families Tax Credit expansion for years, building and working with an extensive coalition to get it passed, it’s gratifying to know our working families who need this the most will finally be getting this relief.”

While the expanded state match takes effect in 2024, the legislation applies retroactively to 2022, meaning eligible Michiganders can receive both an additional check from their 2022 tax return and receive the full 30% tax credit on their 2023 tax filing when they file next year.

Eligible Michigan residents do not need to submit any additional paperwork to receive the extra credit for tax year 2022, as the Department of Treasury will automatically process checks for Michiganders who submitted their 2022 tax return and confirm eligibility for the additional state credit. Checks will then be mailed on a rolling basis as soon as they are printed. It is estimated to take between five to six weeks to print and distribute all payments. For more information, click here.

According to data compiled by the Michigan League for Public Policy, 22,207 households in Senate District 35 received the EITC in 2019. The quintupled tax credit will benefit nearly 30,000 kids and uplift 718 families out of poverty in Senator McDonald’s district.

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