WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) on Thursday pressed the U.S. Department of the Treasury to explicitly include casino workers in the implementation of a new federal tax deduction for tipped employees under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Van Drew cited Section 70201 of H.R. 1, which permits eligible workers to deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tips from federal income taxes. He urged the department to ensure that casino workers, such as dealers, cocktail servers, and valet attendants, are not excluded from the list of occupations recognized for the deduction.
“I respectfully urge you to explicitly include casino workers, including but not limited to dealers, cocktail servers, and valet attendants,” Van Drew wrote.
The Treasury Department is currently preparing to fulfill the law’s directive under Section 70201(h), which mandates the publication of a list of job categories that customarily received tips by the December 31, 2024 deadline.
Van Drew emphasized that casino workers meet all legal criteria under Section 224(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the act. He pointed out that their tips are voluntary, customer-determined, and regularly reported in compliance with IRS rules.
“These tips are routinely reported pursuant to IRC § 6053(a) and meet the law’s definition of ‘qualified tips,’” Van Drew wrote, warning that excluding such workers “would create an inequitable distinction between workers in similarly tip-dependent industries.”
He concluded by stating that listing casino workers would align the policy with congressional intent and ensure equitable treatment across all tip-reliant sectors.
Van Drew’s appeal comes as the Treasury finalizes its official guidance on how the tax provision will be implemented.
