The CHEERS Act (S 1732) creates a new tax deduction for restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues that install energy-efficient draft beer systems. It amends tax code Section 179D to include "qualified energy-efficient draft property" - specifically stainless steel or aluminum containers and tap equipment used for alcohol distribution - as eligible for the same deductions previously available for broader energy-efficient building property. This allows businesses to deduct the cost of qualifying draft systems when they purchase or lease them, directly benefiting owners of establishments that serve alcohol. The provision applies to equipment placed in service after the bill's enactment date.
The Small Business Prosperity Act of 2025 increases tax relief for small business owners by raising the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction rate from 20% to 43% (47% after 2025), removes wage-based limits on eligibility, and expands the deduction to include professions like law and medicine. It also prevents taxable events when businesses restructure without changing ownership and repeals the federal estate tax for deaths after 2024. These changes directly affect pass-through business owners (e.g., sole proprietors, partnerships, S corporations) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, lowering their federal tax burden. The bill takes effect for tax returns filed in 2025 and later.
This bill increases tax incentives for residential and commercial biomass heating systems. It raises the energy efficient home improvement credit cap to $2,000 for certain biomass stoves/boilers and $10,000 for others, effective after 2025. It also creates a new 30% investment tax credit for qualifying "open-loop biomass heating property" (systems using biomass for space heating, hot water, or industrial heat) that meet specific efficiency (75% minimum), size (under 50 MMBtu), and emissions control requirements. These changes directly affect homeowners and businesses installing eligible biomass heating equipment by reducing their tax burden for qualifying purchases.
This bill allows businesses to immediately deduct research and development (R&D) costs instead of spreading them over 60 months, directly benefiting companies investing in innovation. It increases the refundable R&D credit cap for small businesses from $250,000 to $750,000 over time, with specific phase-in amounts starting in 2025. Additionally, it expands access for startups by raising the gross receipts threshold for eligibility from $5 million to $15 million and increasing credit rates for qualified small businesses. These changes aim to make R&D tax incentives more accessible and valuable for smaller companies and new ventures.
S 1022 amends Section 547 of the Public Health Service Act to increase annual funding for community recovery programs from $5 million to $16 million, covering fiscal years 2025-2029. It updates the program's name from "Building Communities of Recovery" to "Strengthening Communities of Recovery" and adjusts the funding period. This directly affects communities receiving federal support for substance use disorder recovery services under the Public Health Service Act.
HR 2330, the Virginia Beach Heroes Act, clarifies tax treatment for contributions and payments related to the families of law enforcement officers killed in Virginia Beach on February 22, 2025. It ensures cash donations made for these families’ relief qualify as charitable deductions under IRS rules (Section 170), and payments by tax-exempt organizations to spouses or dependents (using a fair formula) won’t be considered private inurement. The bill directly affects donors, charitable groups distributing funds, and the families of the specific officers killed in that incident. These provisions apply to contributions made on or after February 22, 2025, and payments made through February 23, 2028. The bill modifies existing tax rules for this specific tragedy without creating new government programs.
HR 3549, the Critical Businesses Preparedness Act, creates a 30% federal tax credit for businesses designated as "critical" (like hospitals, grocery stores, and gas stations) that install electric generators in areas at high risk of flooding or hurricanes. The credit covers the full cost of purchasing and installing generators placed in service after the bill's enactment. Businesses cannot claim both this tax credit and a deduction for the same generator expenses. This policy directly supports essential businesses in disaster-prone regions by reducing their tax burden for emergency power infrastructure.
This Senate resolution (SRES 380) urges the Senate to protect Medicare from automatic spending cuts triggered by H.R. 1, a budget reconciliation bill. It cites Congressional Budget Office estimates that sequestration under H.R. 1 would cut $45 billion from Medicare in 2026 alone and $536 billion total through 2034, jeopardizing coverage for over 67 million Medicare beneficiaries. The resolution specifically requests safeguarding seniors' benefits and essential health services affected by these cuts. As a non-binding resolution, it expresses the Senate's position but does not alter existing law.
This bill creates a new federal tax deduction for interest paid on loans used to buy new cars assembled in the U.S. It applies only to loans taken out on or after January 1, 2025, for vehicles manufactured with final assembly occurring within the United States. The deduction covers interest on qualifying auto loans but excludes foreign-made vehicles and loans taken out before 2025. It directly affects taxpayers purchasing eligible new U.S.-assembled cars after 2025.
This bill modifies tax rules for businesses that purchase voting stock from employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). It allows such stock - bought after January 1, 2020, from an ESOP where employees participate - to be counted as "outstanding" for foundation tax calculations, provided total ownership doesn’t exceed 49%. The rule excludes stock purchased during the first 10 years of an ESOP’s existence. It directly affects businesses using ESOPs to manage tax obligations related to employee stock ownership.
