Trump Did Not Call For Tax Changes For Child Support Fact Check

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 21, 2025, 9:20 AM

trump did not call for tax changes for child support fact check

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. 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 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.” 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. Viral TikTok misinformation sparks debate A bizarre rumor has been circulating online, claiming that Donald Trump signed a law barring child support recipients from claiming their children on tax returns. This misinformation caused quite a stir on social media, with heated debates over tax laws and child support responsibilities. However, the claim is entirely false.

The rumor gained traction after TikToker William Elston, who has a combined 300,000 followers across platforms, posted a video falsely claiming that Trump tweeted about this supposed new law. Elston stated, "If you put your baby daddy on child support, the baby daddy now gets all of the income tax." His video quickly went viral, racking up over 12 million views and sparking... Reactions to the claim varied widely. Some celebrated the idea, like a user on X (formerly Twitter) who wrote, "The double-dip party is over... next year ya done." Others took a more critical stance, warning against sharing unverified information. For instance, @ksb1908 said, "After a quick fact-check, I had to tell everyone sending it to me it wasn't true.

I can't believe people really get their news from TikTok!" What's the truth? No such law exists. Snopes, a respected fact-checking organization, thoroughly examined Trump's recent executive actions and social media posts, concluding there's zero evidence to support the claim. "We rate this claim as false," the site reported. In reality, Trump's second-term policies focus on various controversial topics, but changes to child tax credit laws tied to child support are not part of his agenda.

We found no evidence of such a post on TruthSocial or X. Trump has said he would expand the child tax credit during his second term in office. As U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, a pervasive rumor on Instagram and YouTube claimed he posted about child tax credits on social media. One alleged post, purportedly from Jan. 17, 2025, claimed that women who receive money in child support from men would no longer be able to claim the child as a dependent on their taxes, and thus would not receive a...

Snopes received numerous questions from readers, asking us about a purported new "Trump child support law." A video claimed the following: Trump just tweeted if you put your baby father on child support, you can't claim income taxes — only he can. [...] 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. If he's paying child support, you can't claim the kids — only he can. Another video from Jan. 17, 2025, claimed Trump had tweeted that morning that any woman who put her "baby daddy" or "ex-husband" on child support had automatically lost rights to tax-return funds and child tax credits.

Trump Did Not Call For Tax Changes For Child Support Fact Check

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