National Archives This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Economy & Jobs

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Is Working

2 minute read

Americans just finished filing their taxes for 2018. And this is the first year that the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) have been improving the lives of our citizens. In fact, we are pleased to report that we have experienced a year of more jobs, bigger paychecks, increased business investment and lower tax liability.

Lower tax rates, higher standard deductions and larger child tax credits have benefited most Americans. According to Treasury’s analysis, in 2017, a typical American household earning $75,000 in pre-tax wages was paying $3,983 in federal income taxes. Each month, $347 was withheld from their paychecks, and they received a $178 refund when they filed their 2017 taxes. In 2018, that typical family earning $75,000 saw their total taxes fall to just $1,739, a tax reduction of $2,244 per family. The tax cut was mostly realized through the nearly $200 per month added to their paychecks.

The American economy is stronger today than it was before the TCJA. Business and consumer optimism has returned. Capital investment is increasing. Americans are returning to the workforce, and consumers have more money in their pockets. Entrepreneurs are once again finding an environment that rewards their creativity and dynamism. President Trump’s economic program is leading to more jobs and higher wages for hardworking Americans.

Read the full op-ed here.