Like so many other immigrant kids in Yakima, I spent my childhood in between school, hanging out with friends and helping my parents out in the cherry fields. I have so many memories of driving through the valley in the early morning dark with my dad, heading to work with him before the day gets hot. I love the strength of community in this place where I was raised.
However, for families like mine who work in agriculture, winter can be hard. There’s less work, which means that teens and young adults like me end up working extra to try to help support our families, while also going to school.
That’s why I want to spread the word about a new state tax credit that will get some cash back into working people’s pockets in Washington state. About one in five households in Yakima County, including immigrant households, are estimated to be eligible for a refund of up to $1,200 from the Working Families Tax Credit. This cash boost will be a big help for people in our community.
Washington’s tax code is inequitable, and working people can pay up to six times more in taxes than the wealthiest few. The Working Families Tax Credit helps fix this inequity by getting lower income working households cash back on their taxes paid, and unlike other federal tax credits, undocumented immigrant workers and others who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are eligible.
There is still work to do to improve access to this credit. Community advocates have asked the Legislature to improve access by removing age limits that exclude younger and older people without kids. Currently, 18- to 24-year-olds who are working and supporting themselves can’t claim this credit if they don’t have a child. The same goes for working seniors 65 and older. This means that young people like me and my siblings, who are often the lifeline for our families in the winter months when work is slow, won’t be able to apply.
Recently, my little sister started playing basketball and needed sports gear, which I was able to buy for her. If I were eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit, that $300 boost for single workers would have meant I could have bought that gear without dipping into my savings.
While the age expansion hasn’t moved in the 2023 legislative session, I am grateful to see lawmakers pushing forward on House Bill 1477, a bill that will expand access to the credit for survivors of intimate partner violence and give families up to three years to claim the credit, instead of just one year.
I currently attend Yakima Valley college, and work at Nuestra Casa, an organization in the Yakima Valley that supports immigrants with ESL classes, citizenship classes and other resources. I know that it can be scary for people to do their taxes or apply for resources available to them through the state.
I urge anyone reading this to apply for the Working Families Tax Credit if you are able. Your information is private and won’t be shared with any other state or federal agencies
This tax credit is a cash boost that belongs to you. And, hopefully in the future our lawmakers will expand access, so that young, working people like me can access it too.
