5 under-the-radar pieces of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" that may impact your life

Axios

3 days ago

The " big, beautiful bill" is a dense, 940-page bill put together last minute.
The big picture: Experts agree the breakneck speed of deliberation over what's in the bill leaves plenty of minutia and changes to sift through.
"This is not normal," said Harris Eppsteiner, associate director of economic analysis at the Yale Budget Lab. "This pace of legislating is not what you would expect to see of a careful, well-thought out set of policies that are designed to grow the economy, help people save and help people invest."
"I never seen something like this, to be honest," said Ignacio González, co-director of the Institute for Macroeconomic and Policy Analysis at American University.
Here's what economic and policy experts said people should watch out for with the "big, beautiful bill" as it heads to the House.
How BBB impacts gambling
Context: The new bill puts the amount gamblers can deduct from their winnings equal to 90% of their losses for a tax year. This rule would be permanent and start in 2026, said Garrett Watson, director of policy analysis at the Tax Foundation.
This means that a hypothetical gambler who won $100,000 but lost $100,000 would have to pay taxes on $10,000 of income.
What they're saying: " Even if you break even, you'll still have a tax liability under this proposal," Watson said. "There could be scenarios where folks have a tax liability that matches or exceeds the amount that they earn."
Pro poker player Phil Galfond said on X this amendment "would end professional gambling in the US and hurt casual gamblers."
Charitable giving
What to know: Under current law, taxpayers who itemize their deductions can receive deductions from charitable donations, Watson said. The new bill allows those who take the standard deduction to deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (joint).
Most Americans don't itemize their tax reductions, Watson said, but this gives people the chance to benefit.
"Many people give at least some things during a year that could qualify," Watson said. "They can take that and then take that deduction from their taxes and it reduces their taxable income, reduces their tax liability at the end of the day. "
Car loan interest and the BBB
The current version includes an auto loan interest deductible, which includes provisions that expire in 2028. Some taxpayers could deduct up to $10,000 of annual interest on new auto loans, according to Watson.
Loans for used cars would not qualify under the Senate version, Watson said, and the benefit only applies to new autos assembled in the United States.
Reality check: Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at market research firm Cox Automotive, downplayed the benefits of it, saying a new loan would see roughly $500 in savings.
"The interest payment on an average loan being closer to $3000 in interest in a calendar year and declining over time," he said in an earnings call in June. "So when you factor in what that really means to your taxes of taking the credit, it essentially is not even what a single monthly payment turns out to be."
(Disclosure: Cox Automotive is owned by Cox Enterprises, which also owns Axios.)
Rising electricity bills due to BBB
Context: The bill phases out tax credits for solar and wind projects -- meaning that development will slow and consumers will face higher prices.
This is happening at a time when electricity demand has risen given its needed for artificial intelligence and data centers.
"They're going to face higher electricity" rates, said Natasha Sarin, president and co-founder of the Budget Lab at Yale.
Energy economists and others have been predicting prices will rise. Republicans argue that over time, as more generation is added, prices will level out and eventually drop.
Consumer protections targeted in BBB
Funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a small operation that fights big businesses on behalf of American consumers, has been slashed by about half in the new bill.
The CFPB has already been limping along after layoffs and legal troubles.
The severed funding could lead to hundreds of job cuts and severely disarm a group that has returned billions to American consumers for more than a decade, according to AP.