After Congress passed the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017, American businesses got to work. Literally.
They hired, boosted wages, expanded operations, innovated, and invested. They grew the economy, improved living standards, and strengthened communities across America.
Today, Congress can keep that momentum going by preventing the largest automatic tax increase in American history, which will occur at the end of 2025 when many of the provisions in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) expire.
Businesses, lawmakers, and tax experts are talking about how pro-growth TCJA provisions have benefited communities across America.
READ MORE: U.S. Chamber Applauds House Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Businesses Share Their Stories
“After the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, LLCs and other pass-through businesses like mine were able to benefit from the newly minted Small Business Deduction, also known as the 199(a) deduction. This provision has allowed me to deduct up to 20% of my business income, which has let me invest in my business, my employees, and my community.”
— Michael Ervin, founder, Coal River Coffee Company, St. Albans, West Virginia to the Nebraska Examiner
“Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. must work quickly to extend these tax cuts and help ensure rural small businesses and Main Street job creators nationwide have the tax certainty they need and deserve. ... These deductions have given smaller, mom-and-pop businesses the flexibility needed to reinvest in growing their operations, opening new locations, creating more local jobs and contributing to stronger local economies.”
— Mike Limberhand, policy chair, Rural and Agriculture Council of America, and a small business owner, in an op-ed to Wyoming Livestock Roundup
“I was able to purchase a truck that tripled my daily output after a couple years of saving up the money we had leftover as a result of the 2017 Tax Cuts for small business. This has lead to higher revenues, profits, and efficiency in my small business.”
— Dick Cardew, founder, Cardew Hay Co., Litchfield Park, Arizona
“When we use the term competitive tax code, what we're essentially saying is a tax code that helps small businesses grow. Essentially what that means is instead of having that money and paying tax on it, taking that money and then reinvesting it back into the business. ... That could look like providing health insurance for our staff, doing a 401(k) match, or buying more inventory or equipment. That's why having a competitive tax code allows small businesses like mine to reinvest.”
— Hrag Kalebjian, owner, Henry’s House of Coffee, San Francisco, California
“There's an ecosystem of large and small companies that all work together to supply the products that are made in the United States. A tax code that's competitive for all of us supports the industry and helps manufacturing in the U.S. grow.”
— Traci Tapani, co-president, Wyoming Machine, Stacy, Minnesota
"Whether it is the ability to deduct capital purchases immediately, savings from the 20% pass-through deduction, or R&D expensing—all of these things are helping us grow. ... These are critical to millions of businesses, so much so that a lot of them don't even realize the impact the expiration of the Tax Cut Jobs Act will have on their businesses.”
— Mike Zaffaroni, owner, Liberty Landscape Supply, Jacksonville, Florida
“Last year, my business benefited about $25,000 in the 20% pass-through tax credit or QBI, the qualified business income tax credit. I had the money to convert a part-time employee to full-time, making that employee eligible for our 401K and other benefits. That number is the exact difference in the part-time salary and the full-time salary for that position. So that tax benefit alone last year allowed us to employ someone full time.”
— Jon Briccetti, CEO, Troy Web Consulting, Troy, New York
“[With a competitive tax code] I've been able to put more money into our local healthcare organization. We have a foundation that we support in a Cancer Center. We've been able to be more competitive on wages, improve our technology, and I've been able to buy a truck for my business in our area. We've been able to invest in those kinds of things and help our people with better contributions to their retirement plans.”
— Karen Olson Beenken, president and CEO, The Blue Rock Companies, Sidney, Montana
Voices for Growth
How has tax reform helped your business?
“It is personal, and people don't always understand that. Small businesses are focused on impact—we focus more on who we can help and who we can give raises to, who we can give bonuses to, who we can raise their commissions to...But that 20% deduction is going to make a big, big difference to small businesses and it trickles down into everyday life.”
— Renee VanHeel, founder and president, Pay It Forward Processing, Cape Creek, Arizona
“The 2017 tax reforms allowed us to reinvest more aggressively into our operations. This meant we could upgrade equipment faster, expand our footprint, and—most importantly—hire and train more people. We didn't just grow revenue; we grew jobs and created upward mobility in a niche industry.”
— Victoria Thomas, owner and CFO, Kellymoss, Fitchburg, Wisconsin
“As a small business owner, every dollar counts when it comes to reinvesting in our growth and our people. Thanks to the 20% pass-through tax deduction from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we were able to take a major step forward for our team—establishing 401(k) and profit-sharing plans for the first time in our company’s history.”
— Christopher Barber, owner, Cheaper than a Geek, Crofton, Maryland
Growing America's Future
“We currently employ twenty-five employees, about seventy-five [subcontractors] every day, and that’s all because the [2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act] allowed us to reinvest in our people.”
— Brady Clements, owner, SPG Roofing & Exteriors, Whiteland, Indiana
“The 20% rate on taxes attracted us to do as much as we can here in the [United States] ... That catalyst for us to come back here enabled us to add ten jobs, and continue to run operations as a company and be successful from here in Gettysburg and outside the continental U.S.”
— John Boyer, CEO, KVG, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Local Communities Must Not Be Left Behind
When Main Street businesses have a competitive tax code, local economies grow and prosper, and workers across the country benefit from higher paychecks and more job opportunities.
“If the competitive tax provisions of 2017 are allowed to expire this year, the largest federal tax hike in American history will be very real and personal for people and local communities. Higher taxes decrease spending power, depress wages, [and] discourage investment in job-creating projects,” said Suzanne P. Clark, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during her annual State of American Business address.
State of American Business
Our Work on Taxes
We have been rolling out a comprehensive education and advocacy campaign to maintain a pro-growth tax code that fosters a robust economy that benefits all Americans. Catch up with what we’ve been doing below:
