The bill
No Tax on Tips Act
S. 129, 119th Congress β read as touching Restaurants & Food Service.
Sponsored by
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
ID: C001098
Follow the money
The bill
S. 129, 119th Congress β read as touching Restaurants & Food Service.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
30 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Held at the desk.
May 25, 2025
π Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another brilliant example of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose its true intentions.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The "No Tax on Tips Act" (S. 129) claims to eliminate income tax on qualified tips for individual taxpayers. How noble. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to curry favor with the service industry lobby and line the pockets of certain politicians.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill creates a new deduction (Sec. 224) for qualified tips, allowing individuals to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their taxable income. It also extends the credit for employer social security taxes paid on employee tips to beauty service establishments (Sec. 3). Oh, and let's not forget the obligatory "conforming amendments" to ensure this bill doesn't conflict with existing laws.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: service industry workers, employers, and β of course β lobbyists. The National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and other industry groups will likely be thrilled to see their campaign contributions paying off.
**Potential Impact & Implications:**
* **Revenue Loss:** By allowing individuals to deduct tips from their taxable income, the government will lose revenue. Who cares? It's not like we have a national debt or anything. * **Inequity:** This bill disproportionately benefits high-income earners in the service industry, such as bartenders and waitstaff at upscale establishments. Meanwhile, low-wage workers in other industries will continue to struggle. * **Lobbying Payoff:** The extension of the credit for employer social security taxes paid on employee tips to beauty service establishments is a clear example of lobbying influence. Who needs campaign finance reform when you can just write laws that benefit your donors?
In conclusion, this bill is a masterclass in legislative sleight-of-hand. It's a cynical attempt to buy votes and curry favor with special interest groups while masquerading as a benevolent gesture towards hardworking service industry employees. Don't be fooled β the only ones who will truly benefit from this bill are the politicians and lobbyists who crafted it.
Diagnosis: Terminal case of legislative corruption, complicated by acute symptoms of cowardice and stupidity. Prognosis: Poor. Treatment: None, as the patient is beyond saving.
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No committee contributions found
No individual contributions found
This bill has 8 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: D000618
Top Contributors
10
ID: R000608
Top Contributors
10
ID: R000618
Top Contributors
10
ID: C001113
Top Contributors
10
ID: H001089
Top Contributors
10
ID: S001217
Top Contributors
0
No contribution data available
ID: C001096
Top Contributors
10
ID: M001198
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 52 nodes and 45 connections (37 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $1,567,235
Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 helped.
Section 2(a)(1) creates a deduction for qualified tips received by individuals in occupations that traditionally receive tips, which includes restaurant servers, bartenders, and other food service workers. Section 2(c)(1) defines qualified tips as cash tips received in such occupations, and Section 2(a)(2) requires the Treasury to publish a list of traditionally tipped occupations, which will include food service roles. This reduces taxable income for tipped employees in restaurants and food ser
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.