Tax season brings relief for workers
Americans across the country are preparing for tax season as W-2s make their way to everyone’s mailboxes. People often compare filling out their tax forms to learning a new language because of how stressful and confusing it can be. However, this year, I’m proud to say that Alabamians will be bringing home more money than ever thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts — formerly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Alabamians in every county will get to keep more of their hard-earned money this year. Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, the average American will see a $3,752 tax cut in 2026, combining to a total of $50 billion more in tax returns this year. Nearly 50% of Alabamians will benefit from this bill — especially our seniors and service industry workers.
One of the provisions I’m most proud of is no tax on overtime, which I was proud to lead in the U.S. Senate. Thousands of Alabamians put in well over 40 hours a week so they can save for retirement, put their kids through college, and keep our state running. The idea that these extra hours would be punished in their tax filings is a disgrace to the American dream of hard work and achievement.
Thankfully, paying taxes on overtime is now a thing of the past. Removing taxes on overtime pay is also a huge win for our brave law enforcement officers who often serve long hours keeping us safe. Now more than ever, we empower those who are putting themselves in harm’s way to protect our communities. Police, construction workers, truck drivers, first responders, and many more will see the fruit of their labor in a new way come April. It is past time that their hard-earned time and money should be felt in their wallets.
No tax on tips is another example of keeping hardearned money in taxpayers’ accounts instead of giving our bloated government more money to waste. We expect the best hospitality and service from many workers who are in customer- oriented roles. When customers tip them, we have been falsely led to believe the whole amount will be kept by the employee we are gifting a tip to.
I’d like to think giving a tip would mean something to the worker — a tangible expression of gratitude from their customer. Unfortunately, those tips have been taxed, and those workers haven’t been rewarded the whole amount they are given. The Fed has long been scamming the service industry, but not anymore. Now, regularly tipped workers can claim up to $25,000 for deductions.
Nearly 143,000 Alabamians received Social Security checks in 2024. Seniors work most of their adult lives so that they can retire comfortably. But since the 1980s, the government has been double taxing these benefits. We spend our entire adult lives paying taxes on the income we earn during of our careers, and up until now, retirees have been taxed again on their Social Security benefits. Not only do these historical tax cuts end that practice, but my bill, the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act, would do so too.
Our seniors shouldn’t have to get to the end of their careers and then get hit with yet another tax. The no tax on social security provision is a rare and welcome victory for adults 65 and older who should rightfully reap the reward of their years of labor.
The Working Families Tax Cuts gives Americans the chance to take their lives back into their own hands and feel like their work is not in vain. Every working family will have new avenues to save their money and thrive. Tax season should be a stepping stool into helping Alabama’s working families plan their future, and these tax cuts will do just that.
Tommy Tuberville is the senior U.S. senator from Alabama.
