The old saying goes that “there are two certain things in life: death and taxes.”

In the early months of every year, and particularly as the calendar approaches Tax Day – April 15, many Americans are reminded that the hard-earned fruits of their labor don’t all flow to their pockets or bank accounts.

The Trump administration and congressional Republicans have demonstrated our commitment to reducing that burden. The historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in the first administration was a down payment.

Given an opportunity to extend and enhance these pro-growth provisions, we took advantage and passed another signature tax reform package in 2025. 

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which we also refer to as the Working Families Tax Cuts, not only stopped a trillion-dollar tax hike –– it also made critical adjustments to the tax code to benefit everyday, hardworking men and women. 

And the results are coming into focus as we reach the final days of the 2026 tax season.

Policies we championed such as no tax on tips and overtime, or the new bonus deduction for seniors on Social Security, are helping deliver larger average refunds for households around The Natural State and throughout the country.

In fact, the U.S. Department of the Treasury shared an important recent update about the impact. Many Americans are receiving the largest refund in years, helping them to pay down debt, catch up or get ahead on monthly expenses, grow their savings accounts or cover the costs of the vacation they were hoping to enjoy. 

As of late March, IRS data showed that average refunds were about 11 percent higher – totaling around $3,500 – and over 37 million Americans have claimed at least one new or enhanced deduction or credit included in the Working Families Tax Cuts.

Secretary Scott Bessent recently reported that over 4 million taxpayers have claimed the No Tax on Tips deduction, while approximately 20 million filers benefited from No Tax on Overtime and tens of millions of seniors are getting to keep more of their Social Security benefits.

But we did not stop at just providing relief to individuals and families. This signature tax package also permanently extended the small business deduction as well as full expensing for capital investments in machinery and equipment. 

That has translated into real-world support for entrepreneurs and enterprises, with roughly 12 million small businesses seeing their tax burden reduced by nearly $7,000 –– eight million of which received enhanced support in the amount of $4,600 on average thanks to the now permanent 20 percent Small Business Deduction. Additionally, an estimated $100 million in prior-year deductions has been unlocked for thousands of job creators through immediate deductibility, applied retroactively, of research and development expenses.

This is all good news for taxpayers at a time when costs have risen and economic challenges have persisted.

As an elected official who has spent many years hearing directly from constituents about their priorities and concerns, I know how important it is to help hardworking folks afford to live. They often share that perspective and help me remember that if they can’t put food on their tables or provide for their families, then everything else is pretty unimportant. 

Letting Arkansans keep more of their own money is common sense. I am proud to support policies with that aim, and I look forward to hearing more about the difference they are making across our great state in the weeks and months ahead.