LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The idea of no taxes on tips hits home for many here in the Las Vegas valley, especially in the service industry — but we're learning that message goes beyond just money.
I sat down with two tip earners who told me they're looking for more than just tax relief. They want real change for their futures.
For many of these restaurant workers, the conversation isn't just about serving food, it's about former President Donald Trump hearing their concerns.
Antonio Gonzales, a bartender and server at Lindo Michoacan on Desert Inn Road, told me Trump's proposal to eliminate taxes on tips could have a big impact on his daily life. The former president first proposed the idea in his Las Vegas rally back on June 9.
A bill was then introduced by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on June 20.
“That's great news because if you are working in the industry it's important for you and for your family... your income," Antonio said.
He said he sees $800 to $1,000 taken out of each biweekly paycheck in taxes.
Like many other locals who rely on tips, he said that's a big hit — and taxes on tips need to stop.
WATCH | At Trump's Las Vegas event, this tipped income worker shares how the "No Tax On Tips" proposal would help her family
Would this make a big difference in your life if whoever wins does follow through with that?
"It's a big difference. I hope that happens," Antonio said.
But for Antonio's coworker Sonia Maldonado, there's a different issue weighing heavily on her mind: Her status as a DACA recipient.
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“Since I was 15 years old, I've been having it and it has given me the chance and the opportunity to work in better places and for them to give us more benefits, also," Sonia said.
Like many others living here in the valley, Sonia told me she faces uncertainty every two years when her DACA status has to be renewed.
“I would actually like more benefits towards that. Mostly because every year, every two years, we do be paying it and we pay our taxes for it, also," Sonia said.
She said there's still more to be done for Dreamers like her.
From No Taxes On Tips to DACA protection, Lindo's general manager Jonathon Ortiz has a message for all political candidates when it comes to his employees and all Latinos in Southern Nevada:
“The most important thing for me, for us, it's that they are thinking of us in our community."
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