NFIB Weekly NewsLeading the News Small Businesses Oppose New Interim Final Rule on Credit Card Swipe Fees (05/19/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 19, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter to the Department of the Treasury in opposition to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) interim final rule which allows card processors to set swipe fees and prevents state laws from addressing the rising cost of swipe fees.
Supreme Court Declines to Protect Shipping Industry (05/14/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 14, 2026) – NFIB is discouraged by the decision today in the case Shawn Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, et al. at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court’s ruling means that the regulation of motor carrier safety will be by a patchwork of state court decisions instead of a uniform nationwide standard, which will have broad implications for safety, supply chains, and interstate commerce. NFIB joined several business groups in filing an amicus brief in the case emphasizing the critical role that freight brokers play in today’s shipping industry.
NFIB Celebrates the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction Being Made Permanent, Supports Increasing it to 23% (05/06/2026)
The benefits small businesses across the nation are experiencing due to the Small Business Tax Deduction being made permanent are integral to job creation and economic growth. Results from NFIB’s state-specific report show that making the Small Business Tax Dedication permanent frees up resources for small business owners to better serve their business, employees, and the local communities they support.
Small businesses urge Congress to fully end invasive and unconstitutional mandate (05/01/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 1, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter to the U.S. Senate in support of S. 4419. This legislation would protect over 32 million American small businesses from the invasive and unconstitutional Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting mandate, which was created through the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).
Small Businesses Oppose Sweeping Unionization Bill in Congress (04/27/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 27, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent letters to leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce in strong opposition to H.R. 8418. This legislation would impose a sweeping new pro-unionization mandate threatening fines if small businesses fail to notify new hires of their right to unionize and maintain a new workplace poster informing their employees of the right to unionize.
The Small Business Tax Cut Act would build on the success of Congress making the Small Business Deduction permanent (04/23/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 23, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of H.R. 8415, the Small Business Tax Cut Act of 2026. This legislation would expand vital tax relief to tens of millions of small businesses by increasing the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction to 23% and expanding eligibility to claim the deduction.
Business Climate New NFIB Industry-Specific Survey Shows Shift in Small Business Optimism (05/27/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27, 2026) – The NFIB Research Center released an industry-specific quarterly Small Business Economic Trends survey highlighting the construction, manufacturing, retail, and services industries. According to the report, the Optimism Index for all four reported industries fell from the prior quarter. The components that contributed most to the decline were expectations for better business conditions, real sales expectations, and reports that it is a good time to expand.
NEW NFIB SURVEY: Small Business Optimism Remains Below Average But Stable (05/12/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 12, 2026) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.1 points in April to 95.9, below its 52-year average of 98.0 for the second consecutive month. The Uncertainty Index fell 4 points from March to 88, remaining well above its historical average of 68.
NFIB sent letters to Congress urging lawmakers to stop harmful heat regulations (05/05/2026)
The Heat Workforce Standards Act would prevent the proposed OSHA Heat Standard from adding burdensome one-size-fits-all mandates on small businesses. This proposed Heat Standard adds unworkable paid break mandates, supervision requirements, and paperwork burdens that could force small businesses to hire dedicated staff or make other accommodations to comply with the standard.
Small business optimism decreased in March as reports of positive profit trends worsened (04/14/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2026) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 3.0 points in March to 95.8, leaving it below its 52-year average of 98.0. The last time the Optimism Index fell below its historical average was April 2025. The Uncertainty Index rose 4 points from February to 92, well above its historical average of 68.
“The 20% Small Business Deduction and other supportive small business tax provisions in the Working Families Tax Cut Act have had many positives for small business owners,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “However, the dramatic spike in oil prices has spooked consumers and owners alike. Small business owners are having to absorb those higher input costs and pass them along to their customers.”
New NFIB Op-Ed: Small Businesses Compete – Why Can’t Credit Card Companies? (02/17/2026)
Washington, D.C. (Feb. 17, 2026) – In a new op-ed in RealClearPolitics, Adam Temple, NFIB Senior Vice President for Advocacy writes about the crisis American small businesses are facing due to credit card swipe fees. Temple urges lawmakers to support Main Street by passing the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act.
Progress Continues to Lower Credit Card Swipe Fees (01/20/2026)
Credit card costs have more than doubled since 2012. More transactions than ever before use credit cards, which adds a 2-3% fee per swipe. This amounts to tens of thousands of dollars per year that small business owners are forced to pay credit card processing companies to operate their business.
Wages and Benefits Employment Law Changes Small Businesses Should Know (05/15/2026)
Small business owners need to be prepared to protect their business from a variety of employment law issues, including employee lawsuits, overtime pay, paid leave, and much more. Legal experts on the Small Business Rundown break down important questions from small business owners and discuss strategies businesses can utilize to protect themselves from costly lawsuits and penalties.
OSHA Heat Safety Rules for Small Businesses and Steps to Protect Your Workers (05/08/2026)
Whether your employees work inside or out, heat-related illness is a serious risk that can lead to legal and financial consequences for your business. As the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ramps up its focus on workplace heat safety, small business owners should take steps to ensure compliance.
What “No Tax on Tips” and “No Tax on Overtime” Means for Your Business (04/17/2026)
On July 4, 2025, H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law, and of most significance for NFIB members, it made the 20% Small Business Deduction permanent. The Act, however, includes two provisions—“no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime”—that also impact small business owners. Both deductions took effect for the 2025 tax year and expire after the 2028 tax year.
No Tax on Tips
The new law allows employees who “customarily and regularly received tips” to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their taxable income, so long as they include their social security number on their tax return. In addition, the tip credit has been expanded to include barber shops, nail salons, spas, and esthetics.
Main Street continues searching for qualified applicants (04/02/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 2, 2026) – NFIB’s March Jobs Report shows that the Small Business Employment Index fell 1.9 points to 101.6. Despite the decline, the current reading remains above the 2025 average of 101.2 and the historical average of
In March, 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill, down 1 point from February. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-seven percent have openings for skilled workers (down 1 point), and 12% have openings for unskilled labor (up 2 points).
NFIB Jobs Report: Employment Index Ticks Up (03/05/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 5, 2026) – NFIB’s February Jobs Report shows that the Small Business Employment Index ticked up nearly 1 point to 103.5, showing further tightness after January consolidated the gains measured in December. This current reading is 2.3 points above the 2025 average of 101.2, and 3.5 points above the historical average of 100.
NFIB Jobs Report: Owners Report Mixed Employment Conditions (01/08/2026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 8, 2026) – NFIB’s December jobs report found that 33% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in December, unchanged from November. Unfilled job openings remain above the historical average of 24%. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (up 2 points), and 10% have openings for unskilled labor (down 2 points).
“The economic climate continues to support the small business labor market,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Although employment conditions vary, fewer owners report labor as their biggest challenge while compensation pressures are escalating.”
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