GOP Turns Tax Season Into Sales Pitch for Making Trump’s 2017 Cuts Permanent

Tax season is officially behind us, but if you thought you could stop worrying about your tax bill, think again. This year, Congressional Republicans—joined enthusiastically by former President Donald Trump—have launched a campaign to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent before they expire at the end of this year. No pressure, right?

"We absolutely have to make the tax cuts permanent," insisted Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, echoing what seems to be the new GOP mantra on every cable news slot. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota called renewing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act "absolutely essential." In other words, the sales pitch is on, and it’s coming in hot.

If Congress fails to act, nearly every American could see a tax hike. The non-partisan Tax Foundation estimates that a married couple with two kids making $165,000 a year would owe an extra $2,400. A single parent earning $75,000 would pay $1,700 more, and a single parent with two children making $52,000 could owe an additional $1,400. That’s not exactly pocket change—more like a surprise rent payment for many.

Daniel Bunn from the Tax Foundation summed it up: "People have been used to these policies for almost eight years. Going back to pre-2017 would be a dramatic tax increase for many."

But let’s get technical: Republicans aren’t proposing new tax cuts. They’re just fighting to keep the current rates in place. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma boiled it down: "It is about keeping tax rates the same." The reason for this scramble? The original 2017 bill had a built-in expiration date as a budget trick—if Congress doesn’t renew it, the clock runs out and taxes automatically revert to higher levels.

Democrats, meanwhile, are ready to pounce. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer didn’t hold back, accusing Trump of wanting to give bigger breaks to his "billionaire buddies," while a recent poll shows 45% of Americans think the wealthy aren’t paying enough. The political theater continues, with some Republicans quietly floating ideas about raising rates on the rich or corporations to offset the deficit.

The White House is playing it coy. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the President hasn’t made up his mind on new brackets, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared, "Everything is on the table." But don’t expect a $4.4 trillion tax increase, according to Treasury. Instead, they’re betting on corporate tax cuts to fuel another economic boom.

GOP leaders like House Speaker Mike Johnson aren’t thrilled by the idea of raising taxes on the wealthy, sticking to their classic line: "We’re for tax reduction for everyone." Still, with Trump’s GOP shifting toward a more working-class base, the politics of all this are getting complicated. Republicans need to keep their new supporters happy, but also have to find a way to pay for the cuts without fueling Democratic attacks.

Meanwhile, Congress is on a two-week break, but staffers are busy drafting the bill. There’s talk of eliminating taxes on tips for food service workers and possibly overtime pay, as Trump has promised. Republicans from high-tax states like New York and Pennsylvania are pushing to loosen limits on deducting state and local taxes (SALT), but that would blow a bigger hole in the deficit.

Senator Rounds hinted that "minor adjustments" could be made, but in the end, it’s a numbers game—Republicans need just enough votes in both chambers to get this over the finish line, which is no easy feat with their slim House majority.

House Speaker Johnson wants this wrapped up by Memorial Day. Any delay could mean temporary tax hikes for families and more jitters on Wall Street. Trump, ever the showman, has dubbed it "the big, beautiful bill," and wants it done "soon."

So, in the end, tax season never really ends—it just changes costumes. Right now, it’s all about the hard sell, both in Washington and on Main Street.