Some of us dread tax day, but many Americans celebrate it.

Perhaps surprisingly, the working poor often welcome that time of year. As Professor Sara Greene explains, a tax provision by the name of the Earned Income Tax Credit helps explain why. Hear Greene explain how the tax law can create “Christmas in February” with a critical lifeline for the working poor. Greene’s research focuses on understanding the relationship between inequality and the law and she shows why tax plays a key role not only in shielding the vulnerable but inviting them to participate in a central feature of American life.

Greene also answers a pencil question from an article by Leigh Osofsky.