Save the Adoption Tax Credit

Working Group Wins Award

adoptioncredit — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:55:37 +0000

For its efforts to extend and enhance the adoption tax credit, the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group was selected by the Joint Council on International Children’s Services to receive its 2012-2013 Outstanding Child Advocate Award. The award is given to a person, organization or group for dedication and commitment to children and families to ensure they live, grow, and thrive to the best of their abilities.

“The Adoption Tax Credit Working Group was unanimously selected by the committee,” said Brian Franklin, Joint Council board chairman and award committee member. “It was a no-brainer. The Working Group not only demonstrated how collaborations can work for children, but the outcome, a permanent adoption tax credit, will benefit hundreds of thousands of children for years to come. It is our honor to recognize the Working Group and its continued effort to do even more by making the Adoption Tax Credit refundable for all adoptive families.”

We are proud to receive the award and will continue to fight to make the adoption tax credit refundable. You can read a full press release here.

Recommendations Submitted to Congressional Tax Reform Working Group

adoptioncredit — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:22:56 +0000

In February 2013, the House Ways and Means Chairman, Dave Camp (R-MI), and Ranking Member, Sandy Levin (D-MI), announced the formation of 11 different Congressional Tax Reform Working Groups, which would review current tax law and identify and compile feedback related to the topic of the working group. The feedback is envisioned to come from several sources, including stakeholders, academics, practitioners, the general public, and other legislators.

The Adoption Tax Credit Working Group developed a written statement providing feedback on the adoption tax credit, and submitted it to the Education and Family Benefits Working Group, which is chaired by Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN) and vice chaired by Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL). Click here to read our statement, which was submitted to Congressional leaders reviewing tax reform.

Please Take Action on Tax Day, April 15!

adoptioncredit — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:45:53 +0000

On April 15, we ask you to contact your members of Congress—both on the House and Senate sides—to thank them for making the adoption tax credit permanent but also to ask them to make the credit refundable in the future. Below is a sample e-mail you can use. (Find your Senators at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. Find your Representatives at http://www.house.gov/representatives/.)

Sample E-mail

Subject: Children Waiting to be Adopted & Adoptive Families Thank You!

Dear Senator or Representative ______________________,

Thank you for making the Adoption Tax Credit permanent! When Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, it made the adoption tax credit permanent; as a result it helped children find forever families. The credit makes adoption a more viable option for parents who might not otherwise be able to afford adoption, allowing them to provide children with loving families. With more than 100,000 children in U.S. foster care available for adoption, and countless millions of orphaned and abandoned children around the world, the continuation of the Adoption Tax Credit is vital to providing love, safety, and permanency to children.

We are so grateful for your support of the Adoption Tax Credit, but more must be done. The Adoption Tax Credit was made permanent, but it lost a key provision when it was renewed – it is no longer refundable. This is devastating to many low and middle-income adoptive parents. One-third of all adopted children live in families with annual household incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level, meaning many do not have a tax liability and cannot utilize a non-refundable tax credit. Nationally nearly half (46%) of families adopting from foster care are at or below 200% of poverty the level. A refundable Adoption Tax Credit makes an enormous difference in terms of which families are able to claim the credit. Many parents who provide loving homes to waiting children cannot use the non-refundable adoption tax credit at all – and these are among those who need it most.

We urge you to reinstate the refundable provision, which was in place in 2010 and 2011, so that all adopted children have the ability to benefit. It will encourage adoptions, particularly from foster care, and that will help ensure children have the permanent, loving family they need.

[INSERT PERSONAL STORY IF APPLICABLE.]

Please work with your colleagues this year to reinstate the refundable provision of the adoption tax credit – to ensure that children waiting to be adopted have the ability to thrive in a family of their own.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Adoption Tax Credit Is Continued

adoptioncredit — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:12:21 +0000

The bill to avert the fiscal cliff, which was signed on January 2, made the adoption tax credit permanent, extending the credit as it was in the 2001 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act. The adoption credit is not refundable for 2012 and beyond, which means that only those individuals with tax liability will benefit.

The credit will remain flat for special needs adoptions, which means that people who adopt children who are determined to be special needs (or hard to place) by a state or county child welfare agency can claim the maximum credit regardless of their expenses.

The maximum amount of the credit for 2013 is $12,970.

Additional information is available at http://adoptiontaxcredit.org/FAQs.

Working Group Encourages Leaders to Remember Refundability

adoptioncredit — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:19:03 +0000

On December 14, the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group sent letters to House Ways and Means Committee Chair Dave Camp and Ranking Member Sandy Levin, Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch, and President Obama. The letters thank them for their support of the federal adoption tax credit and encourage them to continue to consider refundability in in discussions related to the adoption tax credit.

Read the letters:

Webinar Recording & Slides Available

adoptioncredit — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:08:31 +0000

On October 4, the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group (ATCWG) held a free webinar: Advocating to Save the Adoption Tax Credit. Contents included:

ATCWG’s mission and goals
history of the adoption tax credi
the current status of the credit
explanation of what flat for special needs and refundable mean
advocacy tips and tools
advocacy strategies from an adoptive parent

You can view the slides or view a recording of the webinar (choose either the Windows media version or an mp4 file). For the recording, depending on your browser, you may need to right-click or control-click the link and select Save Link As to download. Please note that there are about 40 seconds of silence before the webinar begins and another period of silence about 40 minutes into the webinar.

Senate Adoption Tax Credit Bill Is Introduced

adoptioncredit — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:35:31 +0000

On September 21, Senators Landrieu (D-LA), Blunt (R-MO), Hutchison (R-TX), and Cardin (D-MD) introduced S. 3616. The bill meets all of the goals of the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group to make the adoption tax credit inclusive, flat for special needs adoptions, refundable, and permanent.

In November, Senators Hoeven (R-ND), Mikulski (D-MD) and Wyden (D-OR) became co-sponsors.

We encourage everyone to contact their two U.S. Senators to ask them to become co-sponsors of this bipartisan bill. (Here’s a sample e-mail with information you could also use if you call.) You can find your Senators and their contact information at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. If you’re from Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, or Missouri, be sure to thank the Senators above for their leadership.

Please note that this is the only bill currently pending in the Senate that would make the adoption credit refundable, and a refundable credit would be accessible to more families and children.

Senator Landrieu explained her support of this legislation: “For families who have generously opened their hearts and homes to a child, the Adoption Tax Credit gives them important assistance along the journey. My husband and I are blessed with two precious, adopted children, and I am hopeful that this credit will encourage others to consider enlarging their families through adoption. I am committed to extending the Adoption Tax Credit and look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support families who make the wonderful decision to adopt.” (Read more)

Article Highlights the Importance of the Credit

adoptioncredit — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:43:35 +0000

On September 14, Fox News featured a story about the adoption tax credit and how it will be dramatically altered after this year. The story also highlights the importance of refundability to make the credit accessible for many families:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/14/most-vulnerable-casualty-dc-tax-battle-may-be-orphans-foster-kids/#ixzz26TmxdNEg

Dear Colleague Letter Issued

adoptioncredit — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 21:53:37 +0000

Representatives Bruce Braley (D-IA) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) recently issued a Dear Colleague letter, encouraging their fellow members of the House of Representatives to become co-sponsors of HR 4373, the Making Adoption Affordable Act. HR 4373 is only the bill introduced in Congress so far that meets the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group’s goals of having a tax credit that is inclusive, flat for special needs adoption, refundable, and permanent.

We encourage advocates to share the letter with their Members of Congress, along with a document that summarizes our four goals and lists the more than 120 organizations nationwide that have joined the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group.

HR 4373/S 3616 Co-Sponsors

adoptioncredit — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:50:12 +0000

The Making Adoption Affordable Act (S 3616/ HR 4373) continues to gain more Congressional support. If your representative and both senators aren’t listed below, please ask your representative to become a co-sponsor of HR 4373 and your senators to co-sponsor S 3616. Visit the Advocate! section for talking points and more information.

S 3616

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison [R-TX] — original sponsor
Sen. Roy Blunt [R-MO] — original sponsor
Sen. Ben Cardin [D-MD] — original sponsor
Sen. John Hoeven [R-ND]
Sen. Mary Landrieu [D-LA] — original sponsor
Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D-MD]
Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]

HR 4373

Rep. John Barrow [D-GA]
Rep. Rob Bishop [R-UT]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR]
Rep. Bruce Braley [D-IA] — original sponsor
Rep. Corrine Brown [D-FL]
Rep. André Carson [D-IN]
Rep. William Lacy Clay [D-MO]
Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN]
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly [D-VA]
Rep. John Conyers, Jr. [D-MI]
Rep. Eric A. Crawford [R-AR]
Rep. Mark Critz [D-PA]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD]
Rep. Danny K. Davis [D-IL]
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson [R-MO]
Rep. Elliot Engel [D-NY]
Rep. Trent Franks [R-AZ]
Rep. Sam Graves [R-MO]
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva [D-AZ]
Rep. Michael M. Honda [D-CA]
Rep. Bill Huizenga [R-MI]
Rep. Tom Latham [R-IA]
Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY]
Rep. Donald A. Manzullo [R-IL]
Rep. Kenny Marchant [R-TX]
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY]
Rep. Jim McDermott [D-WA]
Rep. Gary Peters [D-MI]
Rep. Ted Poe [R-TX]
Rep. Nick J. Rahall, II [D-WV]
Rep. Todd Russell Platts [R-PA]
Rep. Charles B. Rangel [D-NY]
Rep. Steven R. Rothman [D-NJ]
Rep. Pete Stark [D-CA]
Rep. Chris Van Hollen [D-MD]
Rep. Timothy Walz [D-MN]
Rep. Robert Wittman [R-VA]