Currently, Entrepreneurs Can Only Write Off $5,000 In Costs When Starting A New Business
A Recent Survey Found That Small Business Owners Spend An Average Of $40,000 To Get Their Businesses Off The Ground
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced legislation to provide more tax relief to entrepreneurs looking to start a small business, and reduce barriers for startups. The Tax Relief for New Businesses Act would increase the startup tax deduction from $5,000 to $50,000, and allow businesses to write off more expenses to compensate for the increasing cost of starting a business. Currently, small business owners can only deduct up to $5,000 in startup costs in the first year, yet a recent survey found that they spend an average of $40,000 to get their businesses off the ground.
“It’s getting harder and more expensive for local entrepreneurs to turn their dreams of starting their own small business into reality, which is why I’m proud to introduce legislation to increase the startup tax deduction from $5,000 to $50,000,” said Senator Rosen. “This is a common-sense step to make this tax deduction practical and helpful for startups, and I’ll keep working to support Nevada’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.”
“Allowing small businesses to deduct more of their startup expenses will help support the growth of the 19 million new businesses formed during the Biden-Harris administration while creating good-paying jobs in our communities,” said Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Shaheen. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and in the Granite State, approximately two thirds of job creation is done through small businesses. With legislation like the Tax Relief for New Businesses Act we can continue to spur job growth while giving entrepreneurs a fair shot at success.”
“On Main Streets across Wisconsin, small businesses are creating jobs and contributing to our local economies. For too many entrepreneurs, starting a business can be out of reach and it’s our job to break down the barriers in their way so more Americans can pursue their dreams,” said Senator Baldwin. “This legislation is a commonsense step that will unlock opportunities for Wisconsin’s next generation of small businesses and help ensure they have the capacity to grow, innovate, and shape the future of the Badger state.”
“The Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce is enthusiastic about Senator Rosen’s bill, that if passed, would open doors to hundreds of entrepreneurs who dream of developing and owning a small business in our community,” said Ann Silver, CEO of the Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce. “The Tax Relief for New Business Act would stimulate commerce and enable our small business economy to be determined by those with the grit and determination to be successful.”
“Starting a business is a vote of confidence in the future,” said Richard Trent, Executive Director of Main Street Alliance. “Men and women all across the country start businesses that help our communities thrive. Small businesses are connected to their communities, sponsoring little league teams, providing employment and creating a robust culture and economy. But one of the most difficult parts of starting a business is having the capital to do so. A lack of generational wealth, unfair lending practices and discrimination make this difficult for too many. The Tax Relief for New Businesses Act is a huge step in the right direction to level the playing field and jump start Main Streets all across America.”
“Repeated research has demonstrated that new businesses – ‘startups’ – are a critical driver of economic growth, job creation, and opportunity expansion,” said John Dearie, President of Center for American Entrepreneurship. “But launching a new business costs money. And because startup costs are incurred long before the first dollar of revenue, those costs can be a major obstacle to new business formation. That’s why the Tax Relief for New Businesses Act is so important. The Act would increase the tax deduction of startup costs from $5,000 to $50,000, expand the types of expenses eligible for the deduction, and stretch the phase-out threshold of the credit from $50,000 to $150,000, allowing entrepreneurs to write-off more of the costs required to launch their business once they become profitable. The legislation is powerfully pro-entrepreneurship, pro-growth, and pro-job creation. CAE thanks Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) for their leadership and looks forward to working with them to ensure swift passage of the legislation.”
This legislation is endorsed by the Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Alliance, Center for American Entrepreneurship, and the Vegas Chamber.
As a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Rosen has been a champion of Nevada’s small business community. Every year, she leads her Senate colleagues in pushing for robust funding to support small businesses and cut burdensome red tape. Senator Rosen has introduced the bipartisan Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act to establish a Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program through the Small Business Administration (SBA) to award grants to Minority Serving Institutions to promote and increase opportunity. She also introduced the bipartisan One Stop Shop For Small Business Licensing Act to require the SBA to create a centralized website that includes federal, state, and local licensing and business permit information for starting a small business.
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