LAS VEGAS—President Donald Trump led a “no tax on tips” roundtable on April 16, returning to the city where he first announced the promise, to now celebrate workers’ savings in the first year of the policy.

“This is the birthplace of a little idea known as ‘no tax on tips,’” Trump said, retelling the story of a waitress suggesting the idea to him on the campaign trail in 2024.

“And thanks to our tax cuts this week, thousands of Nevada waiters, waitresses, casino dealers, bartenders, bellmen, barbers, caddies, I love those caddies ... and valets receive the biggest tax refunds of their entire lives.”

Tourism drives the desert destination’s economy, with Las Vegas having the largest share of its workforce receiving tips than in any other city nationwide, according to the president.

Many are now receiving multi-thousand-dollar tax refunds.

“A bellman at the nearby Paris Hotel reportedly said words that no one has ever uttered before, ‘God bless the IRS,’” Trump said jokingly.

The president cautioned voters that the new tax reforms could be in jeopardy if the Democratic Party emerges victorious in the midterm elections later this year.

“Every single American at every income level has more money in their pockets this week because of the Republican tax policies. And we’ve got to win the midterms.” Trump said. “If we don’t, these policies are going to be taken away from you. The taxes are going to go through the roof.”

Officials highlighted the more than 6 million Americans who took advantage of no tax on tips, and more than 25 million who worked overtime and saved money.

“Yesterday was Tax Day, and under President Trump, we are celebrating how much more money hardworking Americans will keep, not how much the government will take,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during the event, noting that 53 million individuals benefited from the new tax guidelines, including those who received Social Security income.

“The administration is upholding the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded with the fruits of their labor, not punished by tax hikes.”

He advised workers to adjust their tax withholding through their company’s human resources department if they want to receive more take-home pay each week, rather than wait for a refund.

“You'll get an automatic raise in your real income,” Bessent said. “Your weekly, monthly income will go up right here, right now.”

The Treasury Department, along with the IRS, released new regulations on April 10, listing more than 70 occupations that qualify for the no tax on tips benefit, set to take effect on June 12.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent participated in President Donald Trump's "No Tax on Tips" roundtable event at the AC Hotel in Las Vegas on April 16, 2026. (Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times)

“Taxpayers are already benefiting from No Tax on Tips since the IRS already is issuing refunds to eligible workers,” IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said in a statement. “Given the wide variety of workers who receive tips, these final regulations help implement an important tax benefit for American workers.”

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer Cruz Littlefield spoke about the money his family saved thanks to the president’s no tax on overtime provision, saying it is “allowing us to stretch every dollar in an increasingly expensive world.”

“With less financial stress, I’m able to be a better and effective asset to my community and more present with my family,” Littlefield said.

Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony joined the roundtable, along with several community members who benefited from the new tax policies.

Approximately 500 individuals filled the ballroom, with chants of “USA” and “four more years” heard throughout the event.

Ria Schumacker, of Pahrump, Nevada, an entrepreneur with multiple businesses in the state, told The Epoch Times that she came to the event in support of her employees who are benefiting from the tax cuts.

Employers are also now exempt from payroll taxes on gratuities.

Ria Schumacker of Pahrump, Nevada, attends President Donald Trump's "No Tax on Tips" roundtable event at the AC Hotel in Las Vegas on April 16, 2026. (Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times)

“If we had to pay tax on tips, we wouldn’t be able to survive and stay open as a business,” said Schumacker, who worked two jobs to save enough money to open her first business, after overcoming a 12-year prison stint beginning when she was 17 that was eventually overturned on appeal.

“I was able to do the American Dream. You have to work hard, and you have to get it, and then you have to help others get it and keep it.”

For the millions of workers who put in more than 40 hours per week and qualify for overtime pay, the tax cuts are generating significant returns.

Rudy Montes, 60, of Las Vegas, told The Epoch Times he usually receives a tax bill at the end of the year because of his overtime earnings in construction. Changes to the tax code resulted in him saving about $4,000 this year, with a refund check on the way.

“I always pay,” Montes said. “Now my accountant is telling me I’m going to get something back.”

Trump spent the night at his hotel near the strip in Las Vegas before departing for Phoenix on April 17 for an event with TurningPoint USA.