Congress Eyes Tax Code for Workplace Family-Friendly Benefits

Expanding tax credits for employers that provide family-friendly benefits has emerged as a rare point of compromise on Capitol Hill to advance policy that has long divided Democrats and Republicans.

Members on both sides of the aisle—such as Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)—propose boosting existing tax incentives to employers providing paid parental and medical leave and child care benefits to workers. While on the books for a few years, some of these tax breaks haven’t been used to their full capacity and leave out many businesses that may be interested in providing those benefits, the lawmakers say. ...