AMAC Magazine Exclusive – By White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt
Throughout the country, millions of Americans are discovering something unusual this year. For the first time in a long time, tax season has been less painful—because President Donald J. Trump kept his word.
President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts, passed last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), are delivering the largest middle- and working-class tax relief in American history. This isn’t the usual empty rhetoric we hear from career politicians. It’s measurable savings in the form of bigger refunds, bigger paychecks, and more money staying where it belongs—in the pockets of working Americans.
During the 2024 campaign, President Trump promised to cut taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security income. He promised targeted relief for seniors. He promised to protect families from the largest tax hike in history. Today, those promises are law thanks to his leadership.
The new bonus deduction for seniors allows Americans age 65 and older to deduct an additional $6,000 when filing their taxes. For married households where both spouses qualify, that’s $12,000 in extra deductions.
Combined with existing deductions, this historic reform means that approximately 51 million older Americans—88 percent of all seniors—will pay no federal income tax on their Social Security benefits.
Importantly, the tax relief on Social Security is retroactive, meaning many seniors will receive money back in 2025. President Trump understands that this is grocery money, prescription money, or travel money. Every dollar returned is dignity restored to Americans who paid into the system their entire lives.
For Americans who are still in the workforce, the results are just as transformative.
President Trump promised “no tax on tips.” Today, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, tipped workers can deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tips. Approximately six million workers report tipped wages. For them, no federal income tax withheld on tipped income means more cash in hand immediately, not months later—resulting in about $1,300 per year on average. And with tax-free incentives, many workers may be more willing to take additional shifts, increasing earnings and opportunity.
President Trump also promised “no tax on overtime.” Under another reform in the Working Families Tax Cuts, Americans can deduct the premium portion of their overtime pay up to $12,500 for individuals and $25,000 for joint filers. On average, workers could receive up to $1,400 more per year thanks to this policy.
Notably, more than 60 percent of Americans work in occupations eligible for overtime, and roughly 20 million workers regularly receive overtime hours. Again, no federal income tax withheld on overtime means more money in paychecks right now. For families living paycheck to paycheck, that difference matters.
While critics have dishonestly claimed President Trump’s tax cuts are “just a tax break for billionaires,” the results speak for themselves. The Working Families Tax Cuts are the definition of pro-worker policy.
Moreover, low-income workers stand to receive the largest percentage reduction in their tax liability. That means real, bottom-up relief targeted at those who need it most.
The benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts extend beyond individual provisions. According to projections for this filing season, Americans could see average refunds increase by roughly $1,000 compared to recent years—making this one of the largest refund seasons in American history. Combined with expanded deductions, the total impact for many families could approach $4,000 or more in annual tax savings.
That’s a home repair paid off. A long-postponed family vacation. A down payment on a new car. A cushion against inflation.
The Working Families Tax Cuts also protect what matters: Medicare is untouched. Medicaid is strengthened for pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families. Meanwhile, waste, fraud, and abuse are eliminated.
Yet, while accomplishing all of this, the Working Families Tax Cuts will reduce the deficit by roughly $2 trillion through growth and savings.
Perhaps most important of all is what the OBBB prevented—namely, a $4 trillion tax hike that would have occurred if the 2017 Trump tax cuts were allowed to expire at the end of last year.
Every single major provision in the OBBB was a campaign promise the American people elected President Trump to deliver. After years of abstract policy debates that helped no one while working families fell further and further behind, President Trump, working hand in glove with congressional Republicans, finally delivered the real relief Americans had been demanding. The result is greater financial security for seniors and more opportunity for workers.
President Trump has always believed that the American people know how to spend their money better than Washington does. This tax season, millions of Americans have experienced that truth firsthand.
As the president so often says, “Promises Made, Promises Kept.” And the results are showing up in mailboxes, bank accounts, and retirement statements nationwide.
I have a pension and social security. I am by no means rich. Somehow my tax bill doubled from last year even though supposedly the social security tax was eliminated. The person who helps me with my taxes explained it as the big beautiful bill is not that beautiful and was not truthful as was advertised.