As tax season starts, I want to take a moment to mark the 51st anniversary of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), one of the most effective tools we have to put money back in the pockets of hard-working, low-income Marylanders — last year, we sent EITC refunds to over 440,000 Marylanders. Since I took office three years ago, the EITC has played a key role in our mission to make government work better for the people it serves.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of families benefit from the EITC, receiving an average refund of $1,100. But we know that thousands of eligible Marylanders do not claim this important credit. Read more about the work we are doing on the EITC here:

Using the data we have, our agency has taken steps to make tax filing more accessible and to expand our outreach about the EITC, including how to check for eligibility and claim it. We are focused on reaching those who were eligible but missed out, so they don’t leave money they’ve earned on the table.

The EITC is more than a tax credit. It’s a promise that hard work should be rewarded and that everyone deserves a fair chance at economic stability.

That’s why I’ve partnered with a national think tank, The Urban Institute, to assess how we can better connect Marylanders to this tool and continue building a government that is reliable, modern, accessible, and transparent.

Together, we can make sure this resource reaches every eligible Marylander.

My best,