Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues

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. https://smallbusiness.report/Resources/Whitepapers/4d3d1759-9e77-42c4-ab0b-8ae2e96a6c88_fas.pdf

Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues

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Small business size standards are of congressional interest because they have a pivotal role in determining eligibility for Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance as well as federal contracting and, in some instances, tax preferences. Although there is bipartisan agreement that the nation’s small businesses play an important role in the American economy, there are differences of opinion concerning how to define them. The Small Business Act of 1953 (P.L. 83- 163, as amended) authorized the SBA to establish size standards to ensure that only small businesses receive SBA assistance. The SBA currently uses two types of size standards to determine SBA program eligibility: industry-specific size standards and alternative size standards based on the applicant’s maximum tangible net worth and average net income after federal taxes. DOWNLOAD