Chairperson Allen and members of the Committee, good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Hannah Kohanzadeh and I am a Policy Research Assistant at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, a division of the Center on Budget and Policy...
Hannah Kohanzadeh
Recent posts by Hannah Kohanzadeh
Taxes in the District: The Evolution of DC Tax Rates Since the Early 2000s
The District has changed substantially since the early 2000s, finding stable footing after the governmental and economic crises of the 1990s, rebounding from the 2008 recession, transforming into an economic powerhouse in the region,[1] and adopting many policies to...
Taxes in the District: The Evolution of DC Tax Rates Since the Early 2000s
Taxes support the roads we drive on, the public transportation we use to get around town, the schools we send our children to, the libraries and parks we enjoy with our friends and family, and the critical programs that help our city’s low-income residents make ends...
Tax Day 2018: DC Can Use Tax Policy to Fight Inequality
Tax Day is here! On this Tax Day, it’s important to remember that thriving communities are made possible by taxes. Taxes support the roads we drive on, the public transportation we use to get around town, the schools we send our children to, the libraries and parks we...
DCTAG Empowers Students to Continue Their Education
The Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget eliminated the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG), which helps make higher education more affordable and accessible for thousands of hardworking DC students. Compared to states, DC has limited public higher...
Food and Finances: Connecting Hardworking Families to Federal Nutrition and Income-Support Programs
For the last 10 years, D.C. Hunger Solutions and D.C. Community Tax Aid have partnered on an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) campaign to connect income-eligible residents to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during tax season. The 2018 campaign...
Child Tax Credit Falls Short of Helping Families Who Need It Most in the Senate Tax Bill
The tax bill passed this month by the U.S. Senate expands the Child Tax Credit (CTC)—an important tool to help families meet the many costs of raising a child—yet like the rest of the tax bill, most of the benefits would go to high-income households. This should be...
This Thanksgiving, Let’s Work to Address Food Insecurity in DC
Thanksgiving is known for good eating, spending time with loved ones, and reflecting on the past year. The holidays can be a challenging time, however, for the many families who don’t have access to safe, adequate, and nutritious food— those experiencing “food...
Students Should Be Able to Focus on Their Lessons – Not Their Stomachs
When a family’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits run out—often well before the end of the month—it can mean a lot more than an empty fridge and going hungry. It also leads to children doing worse on math tests at school, according to a new...
Trump Tax Plan Would Reinforce DC’s High Income Inequality
The tax overhaul proposed by President Trump would be a windfall to the District’s richest one percent, while doing very little to support DC’s low-income residents and small businesses. The Trump tax plan would worsen DC’s substantial income inequality. Under the...