VALLEY COTTAGE, NY (Sept. 26, 2025) – Rockland County NFIB member and small business owner Brian Duffy hosted U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (NY-17th District) at his family-owned restaurant, Dee Maria’s, for a tour of the business and a discussion on the recent federal 20% Small Business Tax Deduction victory. Rep. Lawler underscored the importance of making the Small Business Deduction permanent, which Congress did in July after a months-long fight the congressman helped lead.

NFIB New York State Director Ashley Ranslow said, “Thanks to the leadership of Rep. Mike Lawler, Congress delivered permanent tax relief for small businesses in New York like Brian Duffy’s family-owned business. We are grateful Rep. Lawler spent the afternoon at Dee Maria’s with Brian Duffy and his employees, learning more about the daily operations of a Main Street business and the challenges small business owners like Brian face each day.”

“New York’s small businesses don’t just create jobs, they create opportunity and strong Main Street communities,” continued Ranslow. “If Congress had allowed the Small Business Deduction to expire, the massive tax hike on New York’s small businesses would have stifled growth, put the brakes on hiring, and endangered countless small firms. Thankfully, Mike Lawler fought hard in Washington, D.C. and made certain this small business tax relief is preserved for New Yorkers and our communities in Rockland County and across the state.”

In April, NFIB released a report outlining the benefits the Small Business Tax Deduction would bring to New York if made permanent. The report also spotlighted how the millions of small businesses in the Empire State would face significantly higher taxes if Congress allowed it to expire at the end of the year, contrasting the difference in tax rates between small businesses and their larger corporate competitors. In New York, the combined federal and state C-Corp tax rate would have remained at 28.25% while the small business rate would have surged to 50.5%. Instead, by making the deduction permanent and keeping the small business tax rate on a level playing field with bigger competitors, New York is projected to gain 71,000 new jobs annually over the next 10 years, including an annual GDP increase of $6.09 billion for the first decade.