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Politicians are falling all over themselves lately to support the idea that the federal government shouldn’t tax tips. For more the tens of thousands of workers in Las Vegas who consider tips a part of their living wages, it seems like a good idea.

Nevadans not legally living in the country contributed over half a billion dollars in state and local taxes in 2022, yet remain barred from accessing many of the social services their taxes fund, according to a new study from the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Athena Young has spent more than a decade developing her skills as a server. She knows how good she is now – because of the tips she receives while working at The Kitchen at Atomic. If those tips weren’t taxed, she said, she’d be better able to support herself and her child.

Most people have a love-hate relationship with their annual tax preparation and filing. Under the current system, preparing and filing taxes can be complicated, time-consuming and expensive. But tax season also brings the potential of meaningful tax refunds including refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit.

Most people have a love-hate relationship with their annual tax preparation and filing. Under the current system, preparing and filing taxes can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. But tax season also brings the potential of meaningful tax refunds and credits.

The last couple of years have been big ones for student loan forgiveness. Since President Joe Biden took office, more than 3.6 million people have had their federal loans forgiven in full — to the tune of nearly $132 billion.

The IRS announced eligibility requirements for the free, direct filing system that Nevada and 12 other states are piloting during the 2024 tax season, helping an estimated 20 million people. But it won’t be fully functioning until mid-March, after many who qualify have already filed.

As the federal government hurtles toward running out of cash and the Treasury Department takes “extraordinary measures” to pay the bills, there’s one line item the Treasury can worry a bit less about this year: tax refunds. It’s not likely to make a huge difference, but so far, the average refund amount is down more than 7% from last year, according to the IRS — that’s an overall decline of nearly $23 billion.