blog posts Would cutting payroll taxes help prevent recession? Aug 26, 2019 8:00 am Cutting the payroll tax could represent the middle-class tax cut that Trump campaigned on, said University of Illinois law professor and tax expert Richard L. Kaplan. Would modifying payment of the earned income tax credit help struggling families? Jan 23, 2020 11:15 am Researchers found that paying the earned income tax credit in quarterly installments reduced financial stress and food insecurity among struggling families in Chicago public housing.