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April 9, 2025

IFA Guidance On Tariffs

As franchise businesses across the U.S. closely track the near-daily headlines and ripple effects of global tariffs, IFA is emphasizing the role of our collective planning and action.

Zoom out: Franchising has always been resilient, and we are entering a period where proactive engagement and collaboration are essential. The IFA continues to provide tools, insights, and a strong advocacy voice in Washington to ensure the franchise business model is protected and promoted—both in the short term and for the long run.



For more facts about what the tariffs mean – and don’t mean – for franchise businesses, view IFA’s primer here.

IFA Testifies on Tax Relief

Yesterday, Jerry Akers, a multi-unit franchisee from Iowa and IFA board member, testified before a joint U.S. House and Senate Small Business committee hearing titled, “Prosperity on Main Street: Keeping Taxes Low for Small Businesses.”

Go deeper: Akers told lawmakers that franchising is small business, and he called on them to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in general and the Section 199A “pass-through” deduction in particular for the benefit of Main Street franchises.

Our thought bubble: IFA’s 2025 Roadmap for Economic Growth emphasized extending the TCJA and making the Section 199A deduction permanent for all eligible franchisors and franchisees.

Haller Addresses Canadian Franchise Association

On April 6, IFA President and CEO Matt Haller spoke to the Canadian Franchise Association Annual Convention in Niagara Falls, Ontario.



Zoom out: Amid the fluid situation of U.S.-Canada relations, Haller discussed the resiliency of franchising, how most U.S. franchise brands view Canada as the first country for international expansion, and IFA’s laser-like focus on the three priorities that matter most to our business model.

Our thought bubble: Never has it been more important to be informed and engaged in your association as it is now – make sure you and your colleagues join IFA’s grassroots army, the Franchise Action Network!

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Court Reinstates Terminated NLRB Member

On April 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Member Gwynne Wilcox will return to work while she challenges her removal.

Why it matters: This latest decision puts the NLRB back to three active members, which allows it to resume normal operations with a reconstituted quorum. But the decision is unlikely to be the last word, as the case will inevitably be presented to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Our thought bubble: Along with a legal challenge by former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter regarding their dismissal, this case set the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the question it has declined to answer in recent years: whether Humprhey’s Executor, and the limitations it imposes on a President’s authority, remains good law.

IFA Defeats Georgia Anti-Franchising Bill

Late last week, Georgia state Sen. Randy Robertson ® reintroduced the Georgia Franchise Restaurant Act, SB 376, which is identical to last year’s IFA-opposed legislation.

Zoom out: This year’s introduction came one day before the Georgia legislature adjourned for 2025, and this is the second year in a row IFA advocacy as defeated the measure, which would undermine franchise relationships in the Peach State.

Yes but: The introduction comes on the heels of an Atlanta Journal-Constitution op-ed by another state senator, Jason Esteves (D), earlier this week recognizing that Georgia is ranked as the top state for franchise growth in IFA's 2025 economic outlook.

IFA Submits Federal Privacy Comments

On behalf of Main Street businesses, this week IFA submitted comments in response to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Privacy Working Group (PWG) request for information from stakeholders.

Dig deeper: IFA urged Congress to protect the franchisor-franchisee relationship and adopt a uniform, preemptive federal data privacy law, emphasizing government-only enforcement and protections for consumer loyalty programs. 



Zoom out: The comments are intended to serve as a roadmap for lawmakers as they consider new privacy legislation this year.