Finally, over the past several decades, policymakers have essentially relied more on the EITC to supplement low wages and less on the minimum wage, which they have allowed to decline by 19 percent in purchasing power since its peak in 1968 (i.e., the minimum wage has fallen by 19 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars).

For all of these reasons, scaling back the EITC in order to require more low-income working families to pay federal income taxes in years when their incomes are low would be a significant step backward, discouraging work and increasing poverty.

via Misconceptions and Realities About Who Pays Taxes — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.