Negative income tax notion has long been popular in some circles, its implementation has never been politically feasible. This is partly because of the very complex and entrenched nature of most countries' current tax laws: they would have to be rewritten under any NIT system. However, some countries have seen the introduction of refundable (or non-wastable) tax credits which can be paid even when there is no tax liability to be offset, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit in the United States and working tax credit in the UK. In 1971, President Richard Nixon proposed a negative income tax as the centerpiece
Working income tax benefit 453 of the income tax return if their income exceeds $3,000 for the calendar year. However, the additional paperwork required to claim the credit is complex, involving a the 42-step process on Schedule 6 of Canada's main income-tax form. As of 2016, the WITB is worth up to $1,028 for a single individual and $1,868 for couples and single-parent families. Benefits increase and then decrease with income. At an income of $18,529 for single individuals or $28,576 for families the benefits decrease to $0. WITB is estimated to benefit 1.4 million working Canadians annually, at a cost to the federal