Republicans Target 36.8 Million Small Businesses With Trump Tax Cuts in 2026 Midterm Push
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 12
Republicans Target 36.8 Million Small Businesses With Trump Tax Cuts in 2026 Midterm Push
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 12
Republicans are positioning Trump’s small-business tax breaks as a central 2026 midterm message, arguing the benefits should be defended against any Democratic rollback after the election.
The pitch rests on the sector’s scale: 36.8 million U.S. small businesses employ 46% of private-sector workers—more than 62 million people—and created 20.7 million jobs from 1996 to 2024.
GOP allies say the tax case is concrete, citing a permanent 20% qualified business income deduction, a Section 179 expensing cap raised to $2.5 million and restored 100% bonus depreciation.
That argument also leans on owner frustration with costs beyond taxes: small businesses lose 20% to 30% of income to taxes, while a quarter spend more than $10,000 a year and 200 to 300 hours on compliance.
A Stanford study cited by Republicans found business owners were nearly 18 percentage points more likely to vote Republican, suggesting the party sees small firms as a large, underused electoral bloc.
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