FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOSTON, MA (Feb. 17, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy association with more than 5,000 members in Massachusetts, issued the following statement in response to Governor Maura Healey’s comments yesterday on WCVB-TV’s “On the Record” program regarding a proposal to reduce the income tax rate from 5 percent to 4 percent over three years:

“Massachusetts residents and small businesses are anxiously awaiting that second installment of tax relief promised to follow the ‘downpayment’ in 2023,” said Christopher Carlozzi, NFIB State Director in Massachusetts. “The last round of state tax cuts had very little to offer small businesses and simply moved Massachusetts from the worst estate tax in the nation, to third worst.”

“It may come as a revelation to policymakers on Beacon Hill, but small businesses and their customers are also facing budgetary restraints,” continued Carlozzi. “Their health insurance premiums are rising, their energy bills are skyrocketing, the price tag of goods and services are increasing…it’s not just a problem facing state budget writers but every pizza shop, dry cleaner, landscaper, and manufacturer in every corner of the Commonwealth. Lowering the income tax rate to 4% will not only mean more money in the wallets of Massachusetts residents but could also equate to a 20% tax cut for pass-through entity small businesses. That frees up money to reinvest in equipment, property, facilities and their workforce.”

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For over 80 years, NFIB has been the voice of small business, advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit www.NFIB.com.