ACT Rochester

[{"name":"United States","data":[19,19,20,19,19,18,18,17,17,16],"type":"column"},{"name":"NYS","data":[19,19,20,19,19,18,18,17,17,15],"type":"column"},{"name":"NYS (excluding NYC)","data":[14,14,15,15,15,14,14,13,13,12],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Region","data":[16,16,17,17,16,16,15,15,15,14],"type":"column"},{"name":"Monroe","data":[16,17,17,17,17,16,16,16,16,14],"type":"column"},{"name":"Surrounding Counties","data":[16,16,16,16,15,15,15,14,14,12],"type":"column"},{"name":"Genesee","data":[16,15,16,15,15,15,15,14,14,13],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Livingston","data":[15,15,15,15,15,14,13,13,13,11],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Ontario","data":[14,14,14,14,14,14,13,13,12,11],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Orleans","data":[18,18,19,19,19,19,18,17,17,15],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Seneca","data":[18,17,17,18,18,17,17,16,16,14],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Wayne","data":[16,16,17,16,16,16,16,15,15,13],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Wyoming","data":[15,15,15,15,15,15,14,13,13,11],"visible":false,"type":"column"},{"name":"Yates","data":[18,18,17,17,17,16,15,15,15,13],"visible":false,"type":"column"}]

Economic Security

Using the charts: Items in the legend below the chart can be clicked on and off to aid in analysis. The chart can also be printed or exported as an image or document using the menu at the top right. See a Guide to the ACT Rochester Website for more information.

Source: Internal Revenue Service

What does this measure?

The proportion of people filing taxes who receive the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Why is this important?

The tax credit helps low-income individuals and families by reducing the taxes they pay or in some cases providing refunds. When the credit exceeds the amount of taxes owed, qualified filers receive a federal refund. The number of filers receiving the credit is one measure of the number of working poor people in a region, though not everyone who would qualify for the credit claims it.

How is our region performing?

In 2020, 14% of tax filers in the region received the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), below the state and national figure of 15% and 16% respectively. From 2011 to 2020, the region's rate has stayed steady and about 1-3 percentage points lower than the statewide rate.

The rate of tax filers receiving the EITC did not vary much among the counties in the region. The counties with the lowest rate in 2020 were Livingston, Ontario and Wyoming all at 11% of filers received the credit followed by Genesee, Wayne and Yates, all at 13%. The highest rate came in Orleans where 15% of filers received the credit.

Notes about the data

People must claim the credit to receive it; therefore, these numbers do not reflect the number of people eligible for the credit. The IRS and other experts estimate that between 80 and 85 percent of those who are eligible for the credit claim it. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter, with a two-year lag.

Earned Income Tax Credit Participation

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
NYS	19%	19%	20%	19%	19%	18%	18%	17%	17%	15%
NYS (excluding NYC)	14%	14%	15%	15%	15%	14%	14%	13%	13%	12%
Region	16%	16%	17%	17%	16%	16%	15%	15%	15%	14%
Monroe	16%	17%	17%	17%	17%	16%	16%	16%	16%	14%
Surrounding Counties	16%	16%	16%	16%	15%	15%	15%	14%	14%	12%
Genesee	16%	15%	16%	15%	15%	15%	15%	14%	14%	13%
Livingston	15%	15%	15%	15%	15%	14%	13%	13%	13%	11%
Ontario	14%	14%	14%	14%	14%	14%	13%	13%	12%	11%
Orleans	18%	18%	19%	19%	19%	19%	18%	17%	17%	15%
Seneca	18%	17%	17%	18%	18%	17%	17%	16%	16%	14%
Wayne	16%	16%	17%	16%	16%	16%	16%	15%	15%	13%
Wyoming	15%	15%	15%	15%	15%	15%	14%	13%	13%	11%
Yates	18%	18%	17%	17%	17%	16%	15%	15%	15%	13%

Source: Internal Revenue Service
Notes: Figures represent EITC participation out of all tax filers. Filers must claim the credit. These data do not show the number of people eligible for the credit.

Number of Earned Income Tax Credit Filings

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
NYS	1,789,721	1,796,780	1,858,860	1,856,910	1,830,540	1,772,540	1,724,380	1,662,390	1,639,680	1,529,780
NYS (excluding NYC)	774,829	781,170	806,940	805,060	794,690	775,400	758,050	737,770	737,570	695,390
Region	93,895	93,820	95,380	95,730	94,750	92,410	90,360	88,180	88,790	82,830
Monroe	59,590	59,560	60,820	61,350	60,930	59,250	58,220	57,190	58,020	54,220
Surrounding Counties	34,305	34,260	34,560	34,380	33,820	33,160	32,140	30,990	30,770	28,610
Genesee	4,453	4,370	4,430	4,350	4,300	4,260	4,180	4,010	3,970	3,710
Livingston	4,213	4,220	4,250	4,250	4,130	3,910	3,790	3,630	3,610	3,320
Ontario	7,415	7,600	7,630	7,550	7,500	7,420	7,160	7,080	6,970	6,480
Orleans	3,409	3,380	3,450	3,510	3,450	3,420	3,320	3,210	3,190	3,010
Seneca	2,722	2,710	2,710	2,760	2,720	2,610	2,560	2,500	2,450	2,250
Wayne	7,339	7,290	7,450	7,320	7,210	7,080	6,920	6,540	6,550	6,190
Wyoming	2,797	2,750	2,750	2,710	2,650	2,660	2,520	2,400	2,370	2,180
Yates	1,957	1,940	1,890	1,930	1,860	1,800	1,690	1,620	1,660	1,470

Source: Internal Revenue Service
Notes: Filers must claim the credit. These data do not show the number of people eligible for the credit.

Economic Security Indicators

Filter
All Economic Security Indicators

All Indicators

Worse than NYS by 10% or more

Up to 10% worse than NYS

Equal to or better than NYS

INDICATORS - Grouped by Topic	REGIONAL VALUE	YEAR	NYS COMPARISON	TREND \| REGION

*No or multiple regional values for this indicator

Worse than NYS by 10% or more

Up to 10% worse than NYS

Equal to or better than NYS