Tagged With "Free Tax Preparation"
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Tax Bill Provision Designed To Spur Paid Family Leave To Lower-Wage Workers [khn.org]
Tucked into the new tax law is a provision that offers companies a tax credit if they provide paid family and medical leave for lower-wage workers. Many people support a national strategy for paid parental and family leave, especially for workers who are not in management and are less likely to get that benefit on the job. But consultants, scholars and consumer advocates alike say the new tax credit will encourage few companies to take the plunge. The tax credit, proposed by Sen. Deb Fischer...
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Toxic Stress, Behavioral Health, and the Next Major Era in Public Health by Mental Health America
To view the document, click on the following link: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/toxic-stress-behavioral-health-and-next-major-era-public-health
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Two studies shed light on state legislators’ views on ACEs science and trauma policy
New and returning lawmakers take the oath of office on day one of Washington state's 2017 legislative session. — Jeanie Lindsay/Northwest News Network As advocates prepare to see how ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) science, trauma, and resilience play out in the 2020 state legislative sessions — many beginning in January — they are undoubtedly asking: “What does a legislator want?" It may be a stretch to play on Freud’s question: “What does a women want?", but the query captures how...
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December 2016 California Essentials for Childhood Newsletter
California Essentials for Childhood released its sixth newsletter in December 2016. The full newsletter can be found attached. Check it out!
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Disconnected Youth: Negative Personal, Social, and Economic Impact
Disconnected youth—teens who are neither enrolled in school nor working—may be more likely than their peers to experience poor health, lower incomes, and unemployment as adults. They are also more likely to become involved in illegal activity and become dependent on public aid. In 2013, disconnected youth cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $27 billion in costs related to incarceration, public assistance, lost tax revenues, and lost earnings. In 2011-2015, eight percent of California teens ages...
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Dr. Melissa Merrick Explains CDC's Vital Signs/ACEs Report [Prevent Child Abuse America]
Dr. Melissa Merrick, president & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, provides four key takeaways from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest Vital Signs/ACEs report , of which she is the lead author. Merrick also identifies several practical solutions for creating the conditions for safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments for all children, families and communities, which are fundamental to preventing ACEs. Among these solutions is strengthening economic...
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Economist outlines reforms to improve access to affordable, high quality child care [medicalxpress.com]
For families in the U.S., the costs of high-quality child care are exorbitant, especially for those with children under age five. A new policy proposal, "Public Investments in Child Care," by Dartmouth Associate Professor of Economics Elizabeth Cascio, finds that current federal child care tax policies are not benefiting the families most burdened by child care costs. Therefore, Cascio outlines a new policy that could replace the current federal child care tax policies. The research examines...
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Essentials for Childhood Case Study: Collective Impact through Strategic Opportunities
The California Department of Public Health, Safe and Active Communities (CDPH/SACB), Steve Wirtz and Marissa Abbott co-authored a case study showcasing the methodology, successes, and opportunities for improvement from the 2013-2018 Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative. Read more about the lessons learned and how the EfC Initiative will move forward from 2019 and beyond by clicking the attachment below.
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Essentials for Childhood Framework
From the CDC’s Injury Prevention & Control, Division of Violence Prevention: "Safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are essential to prevent child abuse and neglect and to assure all children reach their full potential. The Essentials for Childhood Framework proposes strategies communities can consider to promote relationships and environments that help children grow up to be healthy and productive citizens so that they, in turn, can build stronger and safer families and...
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Essentials for Childhood Initiative: October 30th, 2019 Convening Summary Document
The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB), (formerly the Safe and Active Communities Branch) and the California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention (CDSS/OCAP), co-hosted an Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative convening on Wednesday, October 30, 2019. This event, entitled “Defining Goals and Strategies to Achieve Child Wellbeing,” took place at the California Endowment in Sacramento from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM...
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ACEs Science Champions Series: First 5 San Mateo County (CA) Forges Ahead with Trauma-Informed Initiative
Each year for the past 20 years, First 5 San Mateo County has spent nearly $7 million to help meet the needs of children from birth through age five, and support their families. In 1998, First 5 was established and funded in California by Proposition 10, which funneled tobacco tax dollars into transforming the early childhood system and guaranteeing better outcomes for all counties in the state. In January 2018, the First 5 San Mateo County started a planning committee based on incorporating...
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How do you tell the story of a huge early childhood program over time? [centerforhealthjournalism.org]
Thanks — for nothing, Mr. Reiner. When I started my reporting on the 20th anniversary of California’s Proposition 10 — now known as First 5 — I fully expected to have filmmaker Rob Reiner’s quotations and retrospective as a central piece of the package . After all, he was the sponsor of the ballot measure that created the tobacco tax-funded system for programs serving young children from birth to age 5. And, he welcomed me into his Beverly Hills office for an interview when the measure was...
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July California Essentials for Childhood Newsletter
California Essentials for Childhood has just released its fifth newsletter. The full newsletter can be found attached. Check it out!
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MARC Brown Bag Webinar Series: September Sessions & Archives
Join Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) for a series of free, short (45-minute) webinars with national leaders who will share some of their expertise and engage in dialogue with you on key strategies for creating just, healthy and resilient communities. Seats are limited, but recordings will be available after each session. Register at MARC.HealthFederation.org/BrownBag for the following sessions: Thursday, September 7 @ 1pm ET Melissa Merrick, PhD —Preventing Child Abuse and...
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New Report Explores Paid Family Leave: How Much Time is Enough?
A growing body of research is finding that, on the whole, job-protected paid family leaves of adequate duration and wage replacement lead to more income and gender equality, significant reductions in infant, maternal and even paternal mortality, improved physical and mental health for children and parents, greater family stability and economic security, business productivity, and economic growth.
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OCAP Buzz: Child Abuse Prevention Month Materials
The California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) just released their newsletter with information about the upcoming Child Abuse Prevention month in April 2017. Please check out the attached PDF for more information on materials to help #unite4kids to prevent child abuse and neglect for all California children and families.
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OCAP grants announced, applications due by 12-14-18
The Office of Child Abuse and Prevention ( OCAP ) recently announced a funding opportunity that may align with the work of California based ACEs champions. Please see the details below, the OCAP Grants link, and the attached document for further details. Copied from the website : The Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) administers federal grants, contracts, and state programs designed to promote best practices and innovative approaches to child abuse prevention, intervention, and...
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Only a fraction of California children eligible receive subsidized child care [EdSource.com]
As Gov. Gavin Newsom pushes to expand subsidized childcare in California, a new report indicates that the state still has a long way to go to reach a substantial share of its neediest children. Only 1 in 9 children eligible for subsidized childcare and preschool programs in California were enrolled in a program that provided full-day, year-round care in 2017, according to an analysis by the California Budget and Policy Center, a nonpartisan organization that analyzes how budget and tax...
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Research initiative launched on health in working families [news.berkeley.edu]
A new research hub based at UC Berkeley’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington, D.C., will explore the health effects of income and workplace policies. Its research focus will be minimum wage laws, state and federal tax benefits, paid leave policies, work schedules, and other policies that help working parents, especially the most vulnerable. The effort is supported through Policies for Action , a research program...
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2017 Kids Count Data Book [aecf.org]
Wednesday June 14th the Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2017 Kids Count Data Book - State Trends in Child Well-Being. This comprehensive report is " a premier source of data on children and families." You can download the report from this post, as well as on the Kids Count website , where you can also access an interactive data map in their Data Center . This is an invaluable amount of data available to the public, relevant to anyone working with children and families - with the...
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A community-based approach to supporting substance exposed newborns and their families
This information brief highlights a community-based approach to supporting families and newborns affected by substance use. MA EfC developed this brief to address the profound intersection between the Massachusetts opioid crisis, Federal mandates for the development of Plans of Safe Care for substance exposed newborns, and, the MA EfC focus on increasing social connectedness as a means to reduce child maltreatment.
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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): California Update 2011-2013 Data
Not only are ACEs differentially distributed, the cumulative impact of multiple early childhood traumas has been shown to have a life-long and direct impact on both behavior and disease. There is consistent dose response relationship between number of ACEs and risky health behaviors, mental health disorders, health conditions, and disease.
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CalEITC 101: Expanded State Tax Credit Puts Cash into the Pockets of California’s Most Vulnerable Transition-Age Youth
WEBINAR: John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) invites you to partner with us in 2020 to support youth in care with filing taxes and claiming the expanded CalEITC. This webinar will include the California Franchise Tax Board and discuss strategies to help transition-age youth access the CalEITC. Description: In the 2019-2020 budget, the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), a cash-back tax credit that puts money back into the pockets of California’s working families and...
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CalEITC 101: Expanded State Tax Credit Puts Cash into the Pockets of California’s Transition-Age Youth
John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) invites you to partner with us in 2020 to support youth in care with filing taxes and claiming the expanded CalEITC. This webinar will include the California Franchise Tax Board and discuss strategies to help transition-age youth access the CalEITC. Description: In the 2019-2020 budget, the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), a cash-back tax credit that puts money back into the pockets of California’s working families and individuals, was...
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California Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative’s “Enhancing the Collective Vision” Slides Are Available and Opportunity to Participate in an Orientation Webinar
The California Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative convened more than 65 stakeholders on Friday, July 12, 2019 to assess the current state of collective action around adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); align EfC Initiative goals and project interventions with existing efforts; identify mutually reinforcing activities; and establish a collective agreement on how to strategically promote Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships, and Environments (SSNR&E), to prevent and reduce child...
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CDC: Childhood Trauma Is A Public Health Issue And We Can Do More To Prevent It
Yesterday, NPR published the following story: CLICK HERE "Childhood trauma causes serious health repercussions throughout life and is a public health issue that calls for concerted prevention efforts. That's the takeaway of a report published Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experiencing traumatic things as a child puts you at risk for lifelong health effects, according to a body of research. The CDC's new report confirms this, finding that Americans who had...
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New Golden State Opportunity Releases new Report on EITC
Golden State Opportunity has released a new report, Our Fair Share: The Earned Income Tax Credit’s Crucial Role During a Recession , with original economic analysis confirming that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a powerful economic driver. Analysis shows that in 2019 state and federal EITC refunds created or sustained 74,000 jobs in California, which is equivalent to nearly 25% of the total jobs created in California that year. Over the four years California has invested in its own...
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Webinar Recap: Office of Child Abuse Prevention 2020-2025 Strategic Plan with Angela Ponivas
On July 15, 2020, the California Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative held a webinar entitled, “Essentials for Childhood Initiative Webinar: OCAP 2020-2025 Strategic Plan” and heard from Angela Ponivas, Bureau Chief at the Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) at the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). The OCAP, a backbone agency in the Essentials for Childhood Initiative, works collaboratively with partners at the federal, state, and county- level with communities,...
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Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager
Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager
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Guidance for Distance Learning Released by CA Dept. of Social Services (CDSS) and Education (CDE)
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and California Department of Education (CDE) have jointly released a guidance document for educators conducting distance learning on recognizing the signs and symptoms of abuse. To read more, please see the attached document.
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New Report: ACEs BRFSS Data Report- An Overview of Adverse Childhood Experiences in California
A newly developed document titled “Adverse Childhood Experiences Data Report: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2011-2017: An Overview of Adverse Childhood Experiences in California” has just been released and can be found following link and attached to this blog post. The purpose of this resource is to report state and county prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in California; describe ACEs-related geographic and demographic disparities; and to offer details...
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Register for the "Creating Compelling Messaging with California ACEs Data" 1/20/21 Webinar
The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention (CDSS/OCAP)’s, Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative invites your participation in a webinar entitled, “Creating Compelling Messaging with California ACEs Data” on Wednesday, January 20 th from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. This webinar will feature presentations from Shaddai Martinez Cuestas, MPH, Strategic Communications...
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Join the IRS for EITC Awareness Day - January 29, 2021!
From the Internal Revenue Service (IRS): “EITC Awareness Day is a joint venture between the IRS and its many partners and stakeholders. Intensive media coverage helps us reach the broadest possible range of eligible taxpayers, including the underserved populations and the newly eligible taxpayers. EITC can increase a federal tax refund from $1 to $6,660 for qualified taxpayers. IRS estimates four of five, or 80%, of eligible taxpayers claim and get this important credit. Help us ensure the...
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Creating Compelling Messaging with ACEs Data Webinar Recording Available
On January 20, 2021 the California Department of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the C alifornia Department of Social Services, Office of Child Abuse Prevention (CDSS/OCAP)’s , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative hosted a webinar entitled, “Creating Compelling Messaging with ACEs Data”. This webinar featured presentations from Shaddai Martinez Cuestas, MPH, Strategic Communications Specialist at Berkeley Media Studies Group ; Donielle Prince, Ph.D,...
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2021 CalEITC4me.org Toolkit Launch!
From CalEITC4me: As we prepare for the 2021 Tax Season, we are sensitive to the difficult time that many Californians are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we want to work with you to ensure that each and every one of them who is eligible for the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) claims it. Last year when the sheltering orders came down, we turned our in-person programs into online outreach, and as a result of our collective work more than 6.2 million...
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Building Synergy and Connection Across the Essentials for Childhood Initiative Convening Summary and Presentation Slides
The Essentials for Childhood Initiative is pleased to share the Building Synergy and Connections Across the Essentials for Childhood Initiative Convening Summary and Presentation Slides. The Convening Summary contains a detailed overview of the information shared and the feedback provided by the participants during the convening. You will find these documents attached below. The EfC Initiative team appreciates the speakers and coalition chairs that served as panelists and the attendees who...
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Child Tax Credit - help spread the news to families with children
Spread the news to families in your community: even if they've never filed taxes, even if they have little or no income, they may be eligible for the 2021 Refundable Child Tax Credit. They have until May 17, 2021 to file with the IRS to receive this credit: $3600 for each child ages 0-6; $3000 for children 6-17.
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Help families get Monthly Cash Payment through expanded Child Tax Credit
Action Is Needed Now! To help families cover their children’s basic needs, Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit for 2021 as part of the new America Rescue Plan. The IRS will be sending out monthly checks to families with children, starting in July. Families can receive up to $300 a month for every child ages 0-5 and $250 a month for every child ages 6-17 living in their household. Families do not need any earnings to qualify. Families should file taxes by May 17 so they can get the Child...
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New Resource: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic One-Pager (English & Spanish!)
The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance have co-created a newly developed resource, “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe economic...
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Resource: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic One-Pager (English & Spanish!)
English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance co-created “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe economic consequences resulting from...
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Economic Hardship Declined in Households With Children as Child Tax Credit Payments Arrived
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected survey responses before and after monthly Advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) checks were issued to families with children. The survey shows that initiation of CTC payments coincided with a drop in food insufficiency and difficulty paying weekly expenses in households with children. About 47% of survey respondents reported spending their CTC payments on food. To read the complete article, click here .
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New Resource Available: Creating Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments for Children
The Essentials for Childhood Initiative would like to share a new resources titled, “Creating Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments for Children.” This new resource is intended to elevate primary prevention strategies that support creating Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments (SSNR&Es) for children and highlight 2019 data from the Awareness, Commitment, and Norms Survey provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This document was...
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Child Tax Credit Navigator Training
The Administration for Children and Families and the Department of Health & Human Services are engaging with the Treasury Department and the White House to help enroll eligible families in the Child Tax Credit, with a particular focus on families that may not usually file taxes. To do that, the ACF and HHS are offering the opportunity to participate in a 1 hour training to help you and your teams learn more about the Child Tax Credit and how you can help those in your community enroll.
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New Resource: "Connecting Families to Tax Credits to Improve Child Wellbeing in California: A Brief for California Local Health Departments and Children & Family Service Providers"
A newly developed document titled “Connecting Families to Tax Credits to Improve Child Wellbeing in California: A Brief for California Local Health Departments and Children & Family Service Providers" has just been released and can be found attached to this blog post. This document is intended to assist Local Health Departments (LHDs) and children & family service providers in their efforts to educate about how the collection of the California Earned Income Tax (CalEITC), California...
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New Child Trends research demonstrates federal stimulus payments kept more than 2 million Latino and Black children out of poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
From Child Trends: " New data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the federal economic stimulus payments helped protect millions of children from poverty in 2020. These stimulus payments had a particularly large impact on Latino and Black children: According to the Census, the supplemental poverty rate (SPM) for Latino and Black children would have increased by 6.8 percentage points without the first two rounds of stimulus payments*, which were distributed starting in mid-April 2020, and...
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FREE WEBINAR: The Impact of Mind Matters: Preliminary Evidence of Effectiveness in a Community-Based Sample
Becky Antle, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work and esteemed University Scholar at the University of Louisville, won The Dibble Institute’s national competition to evaluate Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience in 2019. As a result, Dr. Antle and her colleagues have conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of Mind Matters on a host of outcomes related to trauma symptoms, emotional regulation, coping and resiliency, and interpersonal skills for at-risk...
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Notice of Funding Availability: 2021 CalEITC+ Education and Outreach Grant
The Department of Community Services and Development (CSD), in partnership with the Franchise Tax Board, has released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the 2021 California Earned Income Tax Credit Plus (CalEITC+) Education and Outreach Grant. The purpose of this NOFA is to inform interested parties of the availability of funding to increase awareness of available tax credits, including CalEITC, the Young Child Tax Credit, the federal EITC, and the federal Child Tax Credit for the...