Relieving the small business credit crunch

The U.S. Congress passed a $30 billion Small Business Jobs Bill in September to provide credit to small businesses and offer incentives that expand and hire new workers. The legislation establishes the fund to open up lending for credit-starved small businesses, cut small business taxes and boost Small Business Administration loan programs. The new loan fund is available to community banks that can use the fund to leverage up to $300 billion in loans. The tax cuts include breaks for restaurant owners and retailers that remodel stores or build new ones. Long-term investors in some small businesses (defined as businesses with 500 or fewer workers and $7 million and under in annual sales) would be exempt from capital gains taxes. The final bill reached President Obama’s desk and was signed into law September 27.