This fact sheet originally appeared in the Maine Center for Economic Policy.

Working people need to be able to cover the basics for our state to truly prosper. When Mainers can reliably pay for transportation, food, housing, child care, and other necessities, it’s easier for them to work, take care of their families, and be active participants in their communities.

Unfortunately, many Mainers struggle to make ends meet even when they’re working hard, and our out-of-balance tax code— which makes the poor pay more of their income in state and local taxes than the very wealthy — just makes matters worse.

The Maine Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, helps on both fronts; It boosts incomes for hardworking Mainers with low-to-moderate incomes and it helps make our tax code a little fairer to the families and individuals who don’t benefit as much as the wealthiest do from recent state and federal income tax cuts.