He Saved My Small Business

As a small business owner in rural Oklahoma, I’ve weathered my fair share of challenges – tight labor markets, rising costs, inflation, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But nothing worried me more this year than what I saw buried in the early versions of Congress’ big reconciliation bill: a provision that would have effectively stripped away my ability to deduct state and local taxes, a benefit I’ve relied on since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. 

I’m structured as a pass-through business, like many other local shops, service providers, and family-run operations across Oklahoma. We don’t have large legal teams or accounting departments. We operate on thin margins, reinvesting every dollar we can into our employees, our buildings, and our communities. Losing the SALT deduction would have meant thousands of dollars in unexpected taxes – and serious consequences for my business’s future. And I’m not alone. Small businesses make up 99.4% of all Oklahoma businesses and employ over half of the state’s workforce.