Tipped workers shouldn’t fall for Trump’s ‘no taxes on tips’ stunt

When Donald Trump appeared at a Las Vegas rally in mid-June, he broke from his usual rally ramble to extend a promise to low-wage workers. 

“Hotel workers and people that get tips, you’re going to be very happy because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on tips,” Trump said. “We’re going to do that right away, first thing in office.”

It’s not clear if Trump’s promise was the result of some deep dark GOP think tank, or whether it sprang randomly from the same mind that conceived the war between sharks and wet batteries, but if Trump returns to office, he’s not going to repeal taxes on tips first thing. First, because changing taxes requires legislation. Second, because Trump has promised to do a metric shit ton of other things as soon as he regains custody of the Resolute Desk.

That promise may sound tantalizing, especially to service workers forced to get by on tips while collecting the absolutely insane federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 per hour. But what looks like a sweet deal for some workers is a very, very sour pill for most—and a trap designed to give the ownership class even more control over what people are paid.