What the Stimulus Package Means for Small BusinessWhat the Stimulus Package Means for Small Business

Today the House of Representatives passed the $146 billion fiscal stimulus package it worked out in concert with the Bush administration. Assuming the Senate goes along with it--no sure thing--what does it mean for small and medium-size businesses?Last week's news brought the initial outlines of the tax breaks made available to businesses in the package, but anyone who looked into the fine points likely came away confused. For example, the description of the bill on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Web site said firms could write off "50 percent for investments in 2008," while the White House version had it as "an additional 50 percent of the cost of their investment in 2008" (emphasis added). Similar differences are found in the descriptions of the raised limit on what businesses will qualify for the deduction. Inc.com Robb Mandelbaum takes a stab at teasing out what's really in the package in his column, "How Much Will The Stimulus Help Your Business?"Inc.com