Congress Should Create a COVID Vaccine Incentive Tax Credit to Encourage Those Still Hesitant
Instead of arguing about the SALT deduction limit, Democrats should add a vaccine incentive tax credit to Biden’s infrastructure plan.
Getting as many Americans vaccinated as soon as possible is essential.
The only way this country will return to something resembling normal is if the vast majority of us are vaccinated, but yet, some remain hesitant. New daily doses of vaccines being administered are decreasing, even though less than sixty percent of adults have received at least one shot.
Although the Biden administration is launching an effort to convince more Americans to get vaccinated, including a virtual event that will feature celebrities and famous athletes, there’s one move that leaders could make that data shows would have a sizable impact:
Create a cash incentive for all adults to get vaccinated.
The incentive could take the form of a tax credit, similar to the recently expanded Child Tax Credit that can be claimed in advance of next tax season. It could also be a part of the Biden administrations new infrastructure plan, which will only need a majority of support in the Senate.
A survey from UCLA found that out of over 75,000 people found that nearly a third of those who had yet to receive a COVID vaccination would be more likely to get vaccinated if they would also receive a cash payment for doing so. Specifically, a $100 inventive was the number that seemed to entice the highest percent of respondents.
Currently Democrats are publicly squabbling about the SALT (or state and local tax) deduction cap. The former president’s so-called tax cuts set a $10,000 limit on the deduction, which raised the federal tax responsibility of high earning families and individuals in mostly Democratic leaning states.
Governors Cuomo (NY) and Newsom (CA) have called for a removal of the SALT deduction limit to be included in Biden’s infrastructure proposal, while Senator Bernie Sanders called doing so a “tax bread for the rich.” And went on to say that it would send a “terrible, terrible” message.
Sanders is correct — repealing the SALT deduction limit would only benefit high earning Americans. However, a $100 tax credit for everyone who gets a COVID vaccination could benefit everyone.
Which is why, as a candidate for Congress (CA-06), I’ve written a letter to my district’s current member in the House of Representatives — Doris Matsui — asking her to introduce legislation that would create such a credit.
For anyone who might wonder what a vaccine incentive credit has to do with infrastructure and job growth, consider this — if the vast majority of Americans were vaccinated more schools and child care centers would be open. Meaning more parents who had to leave work to care for their children could return to work. More people would feel safe going to work in a public facing role, like food service or retail, if they had the confidence to know that nearly everyone they interact with is vaccinated. The list goes on and on.
If you support the idea of a vaccine incentive tax credit then let your Representative know. Every member of the House has a form on their website that you can use to send them a message. It literally only takes a few minutes, and could have an impact on getting this country to a place where we can resume pre-COVID era activities.
