AB 398 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Personal income tax: Earned Income Tax Credit.

Summary
The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows an earned income tax credit against personal income tax and a payment from the Tax Relief and Refund Account, a continuously appropriated fund, for an allowable credit in excess of tax liability to an eligible individual that is equal to that portion of the earned income tax credit allowed by federal law, as determined by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor, as specified. The law provides that the amount of the credit is calculated as a percentage of the eligible individual's earned income and is phased out above a specified amount as income increases, and provides alternative calculation factors under specified circumstances. Existing law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and until and including the taxable year in which the minimum wage is set at $15 per hour, requires the phaseout percentage for eligible individuals to be recalculated by the Franchise Tax Board so that the calculated amount of credit for a taxpayer with an earned income of $30,000 is equal to zero. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, if the amount of credit computed for an eligible individual is less than $355, as specified, would allow the credit for the eligible individual to be $355 instead, except as otherwise specified. By authorizing additional payments from a continuously appropriated account, this bill would make an appropriation. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 4, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

02/04/25 - Introduced AB398 · 1 edit
MINOR
This diff reflects a change in document formatting and presentation rather than a substantive policy change. The bill text was re-published from a traditional legislative document format (with line numbers, page headers, and formal layout) to a web-based format from the California Legislative Information website, which includes navigation elements and reformatted tables. The actual provisions of AB 398, including the $355 minimum earned income tax credit for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, remain unchanged.
TECHNICAL

Document was reformatted from a traditional legislative print format (with line numbers, page headers/footers, and column layout) to a web-based HTML format with navigation menus, a digest key section, and reformatted tables. No changes to the substantive bill text were made.

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
11
Key actions
5
Committee
8
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
lower
May 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
In committee: Held under submission.
lower
May 21, 2025
Committee
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
lower
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Committee
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to REV. & TAX. suspense file.
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.
lower
Feb 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 7.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Patrick Ahrens
Patrick Ahrens
DDemocratic
CA
26