"2023 Tax Return Tips: Navigating New Child Tax Credits and Political Alliances"

House Republicans passed legislation last year making modest changes to work requirements for certain government programs, but a recent tax package agreement could effectively undo that progress by expanding the welfare state through changes to the child subsidy program. The legislation increases the refundable portion of the subsidy, indexes it to inflation, adjusts the structure to allow for lower earnings, and weakens the earnings requirement, potentially leading to more families on government rolls than in work. In exchange for this expansion, Republicans achieved the extension of some corporate tax breaks, which some view as corporate welfare.