‘Who likes no tax on tips?’: Loeffler draws cheers during Jimmy’s Famous Seafood tour

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — On Tax Day at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler delivered a message aimed at easing pressure on struggling businesses and vowing to put more money into workers’ pockets.

During a tour of the popular Dundalk crab house, Loeffler asked the crowd, “Who likes no tax on tips?” which drew applause. She discussed tax-code changes, including worker’s tips which are no longer taxed.

“It’s come down to rewarding citizens hard work not punishing it,” Loeffler said.

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Loeffler also focused on small businesses struggling with regulatory burdens.

“For small businesses being crushed by regulations. Now we’re getting back to rebuilding our main streets,” she said. “They’re going to have more take home pay, low tax rates next year, depreciation 100% expensing for small businesses for years to come.”

Her visit came as many Maryland businesses struggle for survival. A national survey recently named Maryland the 46th most expensive state to operate a business.

Economist Anirban Basu said Maryland’s outlook is worsening.

“When you put it all together we’re not in a great state economically or financially and the worst is ahead of us. It gets tougher from this day forward,” Basu said.

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He blamed high business taxes and few incentives for the state’s failure to attract new businesses, adding, “We have to rebuild the state’s economy and that requires being competitive and we’re not competitive right now.”

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood owner Tony Minadakis said staffing challenges can make it harder for businesses to expand.

“You’re only as good as your team and if you can’t attract the right team to work with you it’s hard to do anything to grow,” Minadakis said.

During a kitchen tour, Loeffler praised the crab house as a model for small businesses and said she wants to help others grow as well.

“It comes from a deep sense of responsibility making sure for small business owners that we don’t put more pressure on their shoulders than we already have,” Loeffler said.

Watch Loeffler visit Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in the video below: