Skip to main content

Tell Congress: Reauthorize Tax Provisions To Protect Taxpayers and Small Businesses!

2024 is opening with major budget negotiations on Capitol Hill, and the National Taxpayers Union is pushing to restore key tax provisions that will provide a major boost to both taxpayers and small businesses, and be an economic boon for everyone. NTU is leading the charge to solidify the success of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and build upon that success with the following policies:

  • Expand the Child Tax Credit and make sure it targets families, rather than turning it into a welfare program.
  • Reestablish full deductibility of research & development (R&D) costs (Section 174).
  • Restoring deductibility of depreciation and amortization costs (Section 163( j)).
  • Extending the full and immediate expensing provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) (Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code).

These provisions, along with an expanded child tax credit to help American families everywhere, are a part of the Tax Relief for Working Families and Workers Act. TRAFWA passed the House of Representatives on January 31, 2024, and is now up for consideration in the Senate. 

Tell your Senators to support TRAFWA, which provides important tax relief for families and businesses everywhere.

Read more on these key provisions:

Restoring EBITDA Is A Bipartisan "No-Brainer"Protect the Research and Development Tax Credit for Businesses Everywhere
A Pro-Taxpayer Path For the Child Tax Credit
Retain Full and Immediate Expensing and Restore Full Deductibility

 

 

 

NTU's coalition letter to leaders on Capitol Hill is below:

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

(pdf)

Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, Minority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Jeffries,

On behalf of the undersigned organizations who represent the interests of taxpayers, consumers and families across the country, we urge you to quickly enact pro-growth tax legislation in the new year. 2023 was challenging for many Americans due to persistent inflation, rising interest rates, and an uncertain economic climate. Congress should immediately work to improve economic conditions with a fiscally responsible, broad-based tax package that encourages more investment in the American economy. Such policies are far preferable to targeted provisions that seek to micromanage the economy by letting the government pick winners and losers. 

Specifically, we urge you to pass fiscally responsible tax legislation that includes the following: 

Extending the full and immediate expensing provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) (Section 168(k) of the Internal Revenue Code). Full expensing, or bonus depreciation, is critically important to economic growth because it provides an immediate tax benefit for investing in certain short-lived assets that can increase productivity and wages. Unfortunately, it began phasing out in 2023 and, if Congress fails to act, will completely phase out by 2027.

Reestablishing full deductibility of research & development (R&D) costs (Section 174). As of 2022, businesses can no longer fully and immediately deduct their R&D investments. Instead, they must amortize these costs over the course of five years. This tax structure undermines American competitiveness and innovation. Congress should quickly restore R&D expensing. 

Restoring deductibility of depreciation and amortization costs (Section 163(j)). Section 163(j) of the Internal Revenue Code allows businesses to deduct interest up to a certain limit, which includes 30 percent of adjusted taxable income (ATI). Since 2022, the amount of interest deductions that businesses can take has been limited to 30 percent of earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rather than earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which was the standard during the initial years of TCJA. Restoring this tax provision would be a huge boon to American manufacturers. 

Congress should start the new year with legislation that helps get our economy back on track. We strongly urge you to work quickly to include these three provisions in an early-year tax package. 

Sincerely, 

Pete Sepp
National Taxpayers Union

Saul Anuzis
60 Plus Association

Stephani Smith
Alabama Policy Institute

Dick Patten
American Business Defense Council
Phil Kerpen
American Commitment

Steve Pociask
American Consumer Institute

Grover Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform
Bob Carlstrom
AMAC Action

J.R. Toedtman
Caesar Rodney Institute

Maureen Blum
Catholics Count
Ryan Ellis
Center for a Free Economy
Jeff Mazzella
Center for Individual Freedom
Daniel Mitchell
Center for Freedom and Prosperity
John Hinderaker
Center of the American Experiment
Tom Schatz
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Scott Parkinson
Club for Growth
Iain Murray
Competitive Enterprise Institute
James Edwards
Conservatives for Property Rights
Matthew Kandrach
Consumer Action for a Strong Economy
Palmer Schoening
Family Business Coalition
Jason Pye
FreedomWorks
George Landrith
Frontiers of Freedom
Camberon Sholty
Heartland Impact
Mario H. Lopez
Hispanic Leadership Fund
Carrie Lukas
Independent Women's Forum
Andrew Langer
Institute for Liberty
Sal Nuzzo
James Madison Institute
Seton Motley
Less Government
Charles Sauer
Market Institute
Chrostpher Summers
Maryland Public Policy Institute
Wendy Damron
Palmetto Promise
Philip Rossetti
R Street Institute
Mike Stenhouse
Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Karen Kerrigan
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council
Aiden Buzzetti
The Bull Moose Project
David Williams
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Jon Decker
Viante Foundation
Casey Given
Young Voices
Patrick Purtill
Faith and Freedom Coalition
Victor Riches
Goldwater Institute