Frontier -- In Box

A Second Helping?

For small companies, it's a mouth-watering proposition: restoring the business-meal tax deduction, which was dropped to 50% over a decade ago, from 80%. Forty-three members of the House of Representatives are pushing a bill (HR 1195) that would return the deduction on business-related dining and entertainment to its former level by 2008. The icing on the cake for small businesses is that only companies with less than $5 million in gross receipts would qualify for the perk. House Republicans are optimistic about the bill's chances. They contend Democrats will be eager to appease small companies if--as seems likely--there's a hike in the minimum wage.EDITED BY DENNIS BERMAN