Webinar/Podcast
State-by-State Impacts of New Federal Tax Law: What Restaurant Operators Need to Know
The federal tax law passed in July is poised to reshape how restaurant operators and their workforce can reduce taxable income. States will also have their say, and some are quickly responding in their own ways. Tax "conformity" - or how much a State tax system matches the federal laws - can be adopted immediately, adopted with minor changes, or completely decoupled. For example, States like Illinois and Michigan have recently explicitly changed their respective tax laws to disallow tax deductions (at the State level) for 100% bonus depreciation. While an operator in those states continues to take the deduction on the federal returns, there is no such relief at the State level.
In this timely webinar, we'll explore how State-level tax codes may respond, what that means for your bottom line, and how to prepare for both the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Key Takeaways
Why some States have already decoupled from the federal business tax deductions.
States may allow an even bigger tax deduction by adopting State-level No Tax on Tips and No Tax on Overtime Premium Pay.
What to look for as your Statehouse begins to convene for 2026.
**Please note: After this webinar takes place, it will be available for on-demand viewing. Please register even if you cannot attend the live presentation. You will receive a link to the on-demand presentation where you can watch at your leisure.
Register Here to watch recorded webinar
Webinar Presenters:
Aaron Frazier
Vice President of Public Policy, National Restaurant Association
Howard Wagner
Managing Director, Tax, Forvis Mazars
Howard is a member of Forvis Mazars’ Washington National Tax Office. Prior to joining Forvis Mazars, he led the Washington National Tax Office of another national accounting firm. Howard concentrates on Subchapter C and M&A with experience in a broad variety of industries.
He has served public, private, and venture-backed companies in a variety of industries for more than 35 years. He provides an array of services to clients including global deal structuring, Section 382, E&P and basis studies, and the taxation of debt instruments. He regularly speaks on these topics to local and national audiences.
Howard is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants.
He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin, with a B.S. degree in accounting.
Lance S. Jacobs, Esq.
Managing Director, Tax, Forvis Mazars
Lance has over thirty years’ experience in state and local tax services. He is a member of our Washington National Tax Office.
He focuses on planning, audit defense and controversy resolution for a wide variety of clients, including public companies, private equity funds and their portfolio companies, government contractors, telecommunications companies, and technology companies. He was previously a managing director at two multinational accounting firms, and counsel in the tax department of an AmLaw 100 law firm.
Lance is a member of the American Bar Association’s tax section and is admitted to the bars of Maryland and the District of Columbia. He is a past president of the state and local tax section of the District of Columbia Bar Association.
He is a 1991 recipient of a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1994, he received Juris Doctor from George Washington University, where he was a member of the George Washington Journal of International Law and Economics.
