Expired Tax Breaks Spur Corporate Push for Retroactive Fixes

The question is no longer whether a suite of tax breaks for businesses will expire, but for how long.

Congress left town for the holidays without renewing a handful of subsidies known as “tax extenders” that ended Jan. 1.

Lobbyists for industries benefiting from the carveouts, such as racetracks and film studios, will now have to look to whether those breaks can be revived this year in enough time to reap the gains.

Lawmakers have regularly let these bespoke subsidies lapse for a year or longer before tackling their renewal, often cut and pasting stock language to extend them retroactively. ...