Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB557

Introduced
1/20/25  

Caption

Working Class Bonus Tax Relief Act of 2025This bill allows a tax deduction for bonuses received by an individual, subject to income limitations, through 2029. The amount of the deduction may not exceed 15% of the individual’s regular wages from the same employer. Further, the deduction is not allowed for individuals with annual adjusted gross income exceeding $100,000 (or $150,000 for heads of the household and $200,000 for married couples filing a joint return).  

Impact

If enacted, HB557 could significantly benefit lower and middle-income workers who receive bonuses from their employers. By allowing these individuals to offset their taxable income by a portion of their bonuses, the bill aims to enhance disposable income and stimulate economic activity. Furthermore, the bill stands to provide relief specifically to the working class, who are often the most affected by rising costs of living. However, the proposed income limits mean that higher earners would not benefit from this tax incentive, which may serve as a point of contention among various stakeholders.

Summary

House Bill 557, titled the 'Working Class Bonus Tax Relief Act of 2025', aims to amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax deductions for certain bonuses received by individuals. The proposed legislation allows taxpayers to deduct bonuses that do not exceed 15% of their non-bonus wages from the same employer within a taxable year. This deduction is limited to individuals whose adjusted gross income does not exceed specified thresholds, namely $200,000 for married couples filing jointly, $150,000 for heads of households, and $100,000 for other individuals. The bill also stipulates that no deductions will be permissible for amounts received after December 31, 2029.

Contention

Discussions surrounding HB557 may lead to differing opinions on its fairness and effectiveness. Proponents of the bill argue that it recognizes the contributions of workers and seeks to return value to individuals who may struggle with high tax burdens on bonuses they earn. Critics, on the other hand, may raise concerns about government intervention in tax policy and point out that the specific income caps could exclude many deserving workers, particularly in higher cost-of-living areas. This tension reflects broader debates on tax equity and the role of the government in supporting working-class families.

Congress_id

119-HR-557

Policy_area

Taxation

Introduced_date

2025-01-20

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US HB109

This bill allows an individual taxpayer a deduction from gross income for insurance premiums paid for the health care coverage of the taxpayer and the taxpayer's spouse and dependents. The bill makes the deduction available whether or not the taxpayer itemizes other deductions.

US HB9800

Working Class Bonus Tax Relief Act of 2024

US HB176

This bill allows a deduction from gross income (above the line deduction) for attorney fees and court costs awarded with respect to a qualifying wildfire disaster (i.e., any forest or range fire that is a federally declared disaster, occurs in a disaster area, and occurs in 2015 or later). The bill excludes from the gross income of a taxpayer, for income tax purposes, amounts paid to compensate victims for losses or damages in connection with a qualifying wildfire disaster.

US HB108

Small Business Prosperity Act of 2023 This bill modifies the tax deduction for qualified business income to (1) make such deduction permanent, (2) limit to 21% the top tax rate on qualified business income, (3) repeal the limitation on the deduction based on amount of wages paid, and (4) revise the definition of qualified trade or business to mean any trade or business other than the trade of business of performing services as an employee. The bill provides that a change in the organizational structure of a corporation is not a taxable event if there is no change among the owners, their ownership interests, or the assets of the organization, The bill repeals the estate tax after 2022.

US HB339

SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act This bill increases from $10,000 to $20,000 the amount that a married couple filing a joint tax return may deduct as state and local taxes (thus eliminating the tax effect known as the marriage penalty with respect to the deduction).

US HB418

Affordable Housing Equity Act of 2023 This bill requires allocations through 2033 of low-income housing credit amounts for buildings designated to serve certain low-income households (i.e., aggregate household income does not exceed the greater of 30% of area median gross income, or 100% of an amount equal to the federal poverty line). The bill also increases the rate of the low-income housing credit for projects designated to serve such low-income households.

US HB324

Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act This bill extends the $1 million limit on the deductibility of executive compensation to all employees of publicly traded corporations.

US HB204

Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Act This bill requires the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and specified public housing programs to subject individuals to substance-abuse screening and to deny benefits for individuals who test positive for a controlled substance.

US HB4967

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for deductions for the performance of certain services by a taxpayer, and for other purposes.

US HB312

Emergency Savings Accounts Act of 2023 This bill allows an individual taxpayer occupying a residence a deduction from gross income for up to $5,000 of amounts paid into such taxpayer's emergency savings account. The bill defines emergency savings account as an account established exclusively to pay the qualified disaster and public health emergency expenses of the account beneficiary. The bill defines qualified disaster and public health emergency expenses as disaster mitigation expenses, disaster recovery expenses, public health emergency expenses, and unemployment-related expenses.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.