Section 179 was designed with businesses in mind. That's why almost all types of "business equipment" qualify for the Section 179 deduction.

All businesses need equipment on an ongoing basis, be it machinery, computers, software, office furniture, vehicles, or other tangible goods. It's very likely that your business has purchased many of these goods during the past year, and will do so again and again. Section 179 is designed to make purchasing that equipment during this calendar year financially attractive.

Please keep in mind that to qualify for the Section 179 Deduction, the equipment listed below must be purchased and put into use between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012.

• Equipment (machines, etc) purchased for business use
• Tangible personal property used in business
• Business Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 6,000 lbs (Section 179 Vehicle Deductions)
• Computers
• Computer "Off-the-Shelf" Software
• Office Furniture
• Office Equipment
• Property attached to your building that is not a structural component of the building (i.e.: a printing press, large manufacturing tools and equipment)
• Partial Business Use (equipment that is purchased for business use and personal use: generally, your deduction will be based on the percentage of time you use the equipment for business purposes).

Section 179 can change each year without notice (Section 179 has even changed mid-year), so it benefits you to take advantage of this generous tax code while it's available. Section 179 offers small businesses a great opportunity to maximize purchasing power. In addition, the recent Stimulus Acts have provided the small business owner with generous new (and higher) deduction limits. Most of the equipment your business will purchase, finance or lease qualifies for the deduction (see Section 179 Qualified Financing), so make sure you do your homework to verify that your company is leveraging the Section 179 Deduction this year.