Fact Check Trump Did Not Announce New Tax Law On Child Support

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 21, 2025, 9:20 AM

fact check trump did not announce new tax law on child support

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Even before President Donald Trump took office again Jan. 20, some social media users blamed him for a new law that would affect some families. "Trump passed a new law that whoever is paying the child support will get to declare those children on their taxes," a TikTok user said in a Jan. 18 video. "Say you’re a single father, single mother, and you are not the one paying the child support, you will not get the tax return for the child."

Social media users also shared the post on Instagram and Facebook, and said Trump tweeted about the new policy. The Instagram post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.) Despite the rumors, Trump did not enact a new law about child support and taxes. A Jan. 20 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) warns of a major change to tax law for people with children.

"Donald Trump says that a woman who receives child support from a man can no longer claim the child on her taxes," reads part of the post's caption. The post was liked more than 10,000 times in a week. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page President Donald Trump never made such a statement, and there is no evidence of any such change to the tax code. The originator of the claim later admitted to fabricating it. Copyright © AFP 2017-2025.

Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more. "Donald Trump’s NEW CHILD SUPPORT LAW will be crazy. If you receive child support you will no longer be able to claim the child on your taxes, only the person who is PAYING the child support can," says a January 19, 2025 Facebook... The claims circulated on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X, including posts in Spanish. The online rumor of a new "Trump child support law," follows the president signing a series of executive orders in his first week back in the White House -- ranging from dismantling the federal...

However, no such law regarding child support was among the flurry of actions taken by Trump since his return to office. Posts suggest that recipients of child support will no longer be able to claim the child on income tax returns. But a review of Trump’s stated policies, recent announcements and social media accounts reveal no such proposal as of January 27, 2025 (archived here, here and here). This fact-check article addresses a claim that surfaced regarding former President Donald Trump allegedly announcing a new tax law related to child support, slated to take effect in 2025. The claim gained traction in various online discussions and social media platforms, leading to confusion among the public about potential changes in child support regulations and tax implications for families. Given the importance of accurate information in discussions about tax laws and family welfare, this claim warranted careful scrutiny.

The specific claim under investigation is that Donald Trump has made an official announcement regarding a new tax law that would alter child support payments starting in 2025. This assertion implies significant changes to the existing tax framework affecting how child support is calculated or reported, which could have far-reaching consequences for parents and guardians involved in child support arrangements. After thorough investigation, it has been confirmed that Donald Trump did not make any announcement regarding a new tax law related to child support. The claim is unfounded and lacks any credible evidence or official communication from Trump or his representatives. Key sources affirming this fact include: These sources collectively underscore that the claim is not only untrue but also potentially misleading for those who may be impacted by actual changes in tax law.

A rumor that Donald Trump was signing a bill that would bar child support recipients from claiming the child on their tax returns has been circulating. It’s been 24 hours since Donald Trump was officially sworn into office as the 47th U.S. president, and misinformation is already swirling after the president signed a flurry of executive orders that shook up Washington. One alarming rumor on social media suggested that Trump signed a new tax law barring any recipients of child support (which are most likely to be women) from claiming their children on tax returns. In the days before the inauguration, a video of two men discussing the supposed new law began circulating on Instagram. “Trump just tweeted if you put your baby father on child support, you can’t claim income tax — only he can,” a man speaking in the video explains.

“When you put your baby father on child support, you no longer can claim your child, only the father can only one of y’all can claim your child,” he continued. “If he paying child support, you can’t claim the kids, only he can.” Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way. Based on the comprehensive analysis of available sources, there is no evidence that Donald Trump has ever been sued for child support by an alleged secret child. All nine sources analyzed fail to provide any information supporting such a claim.

The sources instead focus on unrelated legal matters involving Trump, including: 2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints The analyses reveal several important contextual elements missing from the original question: Several videos on TikTok have been going viral which state that President Trump allegedly announced a new law soon after his swearing. Further claiming that it would change the way people claim dependence on taxes in child support.

A TikToker with username @secretservicesam claimed the same garnered millions of views on his video (released on January 18), as he stated: Meanwhile, another TikToker, William Elston, also posted a similar video on January 16, claiming that Trump even declared the same on social media. In the viral video, the TikToker said: However, as the videos of the TikTokers went viral on social media, it created a frenzy amongst the masses, although no leading publication or government body had announced the same. As the viral videos spread, social media users began questioning if the news was true. The TikTok creator, Elston, who claimed the same then hopped on to the platform to clarify that he had made up the story, and none of it was true.

In a video posted on January 24, 2025, Elston stated that he was only joking, and admitted to being the source of the rumor. Hence, the viral news about Trump signing the law barring child support recipients from claiming income tax is fake, as the President has not passed any such order.

Fact Check Trump Did Not Announce New Tax Law On Child Support

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