{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hultgren.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tax-cuts-for-illinois-families-and-small-businesses", "Tax Cuts for Illinois Families and Small Businesses", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "IL", "Randy Hultgren", "H001059", "hultgren.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I am thrilled the final version of the tax reform legislation included three Illinois victories for which I fought: provisions from my bill, the Bring Small Businesses Back Tax Reform Act, the protection of local infrastructure projects through key financing tools and the maintaining of tuition waivers for graduate students, including those entering STEM fields. Illinois individuals will benefit from immediately lower tax rates and the doubling of the standard deduction, used by more than 70 percent of Americans. Illinois families will benefit from a doubling of the child tax credit. The engine of Illinois economyour small businesseswill immediately benefit from a reduced tax burden and more flexible accounting rules, said Rep. Hultgren. Congress has not fully updated the U.S. Tax Code since 1986, and everyone in Illinois and the 14th District will be able to take advantage of lower rates, easier tax-filing and national economic growth this tax reform package will deliver.\nFor individuals and families, theTax Cuts and Jobs Act:\n Lowers individual tax rates for low- and middle-income Americans to 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%so people keep more of what they earn.\n\tSignificantly increases the standard deductionto protect roughly double the amount of what you earn each year from taxes  from $6,350 to $12,000 for individuals and $12,700 to $24,000 for married couples.\n\tEliminates special-interest deductions that increase rates and complicate Americans taxes so an individual or family can file their taxes on a form as simple as a postcard.\n\tTakes action to support more American familiesby:\n\t\tEstablishing a new Family Credit  which includes expanding the Child Tax Creditfrom $1,000 to $2,000 to help parents with the cost of raising children, and providing a credit of $500 for each parent and non-child dependent to help all families with their everyday expenses.\n\t\t\tPreserving the Child and Dependent Care Tax Creditto help families care for their children and older dependents such as a disabled grandparent who may need additional support.\n\t\t\tPreserving the Adoption Tax Creditso parents can continue to receive additional tax relief as they open their hearts and their homes to an adopted child.\n\t\t\n\tLowers the threshold for the medical expense deduction to 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (from 10 percent) to help Americans with high medical bills.\n\tEliminates the Affordable Care Act individual mandate penalty to cut taxes on the low- and middle-income families who are paying it and allow Americans to make their own health insurance choices.\n\tMaintains the Earned Income Tax Creditto provide important tax relief for low-income Americans working to build better lives for themselves.\n\tMaintains the graduate tuition waiverto allow graduate students in a variety of fields to be shielded from a large tax on their tuition costs at a time when they cannot afford it. Rep. Hultgren advocated for the inclusion of this provision.\n\tContinues the deduction for charitable contributionsso people can continue to donate to their local church, charity or community organization.\n\tPreserves the home mortgage interest deductionfor existing mortgages and maintains it for mortgages on newly purchased homes up to $750,000, providing relief to current and aspiring homeowners.\n\tContinues to allow people to write off the cost of state and local income and property taxesup to $10,000.\n\tRetains popular retirement savings optionssuch as 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts so Americans can continue to save for their future.\n\tProvides immediate relief from the Death Tax by doubling the exemption. Family-owned farms and businesses will no longer have to worry about double or triple taxation from Washington when they pass down their lifes work to the next generation.\n For job creators of all sizes, theTax Cuts and Jobs Act:\n Lowers the corporate tax rate to 21% down from 35%, which today is the highest in the industrialized world  the largest reduction in the U.S. corporate tax rate in our nations history.\n\tGives Main Street job creators (pass-through companies) a 20 percent deduction on qualified business income to allow them to expand and hire more workers.\n\tEstablishes strong safeguards to distinguish between individual wage income and pass-through business incomeso Main Street tax relief goes to the local job creators it was designed to help most.\n\tAllows businesses to immediately write off the full cost of new equipmentto improve operations and enhance the skills of their workers  unleashing the growth of jobs, productivity and paychecks.\n\tProtects the ability of small businesses to write off the interest on loansthat help these Main Street entrepreneurs start or expand a business, hire workers and increase paychecks.\n\tRetains the low-income housing tax creditthat encourages businesses to invest in affordable housing so families, individuals and seniors can find a safe and comfortable place to call home.\n\tPreserves the Research & Development Tax Credit encouraging our businesses and workers to develop cutting-edge Made in America products and services.\n\tModernizes our international tax systemso Americas global businesses will no longer be held back by an outdated worldwide tax system that results in double taxation for many of our nations job creators.\n\tMakes it easier for American businesses to bring home foreign earningsto invest in creating new jobs in our local communities.\n\tPrevents American jobs, headquarters and research from moving overseasby eliminating incentives that now reward companies for shifting jobs, profits and manufacturing plants abroad.\n Supporting organizations:\nThe American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Edison Electric Institute, Illinois Farm Bureau, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), International Franchise Association, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), National Retail Federation, National Association of Manufacturers, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council and U.S. Chamber of Commerceall of which represent thousands of Illinois individuals and businessesall supported H.R. 1 as a boost to the economy and small businesses throughout the state.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hultgren.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tax-cuts-for-illinois-families-and-small-businesses"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4053760096430779, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}