PRESENTED BY:

August 13, 2025

IFA Hosts Tax Bill Briefing

Join IFA tomorrow, August 14 at 2:00 PM EDT for an in-depth member briefing at how the “One Big Beautiful Bill” affects franchise operations.

Zoom in: Haider Murtaza, Senior Director, Federal Government Relations, will host an all-star panel of tax professionals from Citrin Cooperman, a leading tax services firm, including Andy Tarquinio, Michael Iannuzzi, Steve Hurok, and Aaron Chaitovsky.

Why it matters: These experts will share the latest tax changes, highlight compliance pitfalls to avoid, and offer actionable tips to strengthen your financial position.

Advocacy Summit: What to Expect

On September 10 at 2:00 PM EDT, IFA will host a pre-event member briefing with Erica Farage, Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Political Affairs, and Haider Murtaza to prepare attendees for the 2025 Advocacy Summit, taking place September 15–17 in Washington, D.C. 

Why it matters: The session will cover key policy issues, provide guidance for effective advocacy, and outline best practices of engaging with lawmakers.

ADVERTISEMENT | Advertise with IFA

IFA Opposes NJ ABC Test Changes

Last week, IFA submitted comments to the New Jersey Department of Labor opposing proposed changes to the state’s ABC Test, which are the factors determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under state labor laws.

Why it matters: The proposed revisions could wrongly classify franchise relationships as employment, misconstruing brand standard controls legally required to protect trademarks and necessary to protect franchisee equity in their businesses as factors demonstrating an employment relationship.

The big picture: IFA’s comments urge the Department to withdraw the rule, citing potential harm to over 21,000 franchised businesses, 228,000 jobs, and $25 billion in economic output in New Jersey.

IFA Applauds NASAA Guidance

As trade negotiations increase costs for franchisors and franchisees, IFA is grateful that the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Franchise Project Group (FPG) supported our request to recognize the challenges brands face navigating disclosures given continuing tariff volatility in their recently issued guidance on shifting market conditions.

Our thought bubble: Core to our Responsible Franchising principles is the idea that robust pre-sale disclosure is the bedrock of responsible franchising and critical in setting clear expectations at the outset of a long-term relationship. 

What’s next: Setting clear goals and expectations during the pre-sale period so that franchisors and franchisees are aligned on the terms of their long-term relationship is key, and IFA will continue working with all involved parties to modernize and improve these disclosure requirements.