A self employed couple like the Frosts who are only claiming income of $45,000 per year seems like a good target for an IRS or state income tax audit.
The entire idea of extending welfare benefits to the self employed is a fool idea. Not only does the taxpayer benefit by lower taxes if they misstate their income and expenses, they also get the additional welfare benefit to boot.
Just makes the whole paradigm of voluntary compliance, the main pillar of the tax code, just a lot more problematic.
I was thinking the same thing. $45K in income. Two kids, each of which cost $20K to go to school. How does the family pay the mortgage on 5K a year?