Business Tax Break Renewal Hinges on Child Tax Credit ‘Fulcrum’

By the end of September it may start feeling like Groundhog Day for tax policy.

With only a few legislative weeks before government funding runs dry on September 30, lawmakers will likely need to pass a stopgap spending bill punting a final package—and potential tax vehicle for tax provisions—toward year’s end. But there’s a familiar sticking point: Democrats want action on the child tax credit.

Like a year ago, business groups are pushing to renew expired or expiring business breaks from the GOP 2017 tax bill. Those include the research and development tax break, the ability to immediately write-off some ...