So, right now might not seem like the ideal to purchase a bunch of stuff, particularly when top VCs and pretty much everyone else with half a brain cell is advising entrepreneurs and small business owners to tighten their belts. Nonetheless, if you're one of the lucky ones who has cash to burn and need to purchase equipment, you may want to do it fast. That's because the tax incentives Congress passed last year for small businesses owners on certain expenditures will expire at the end of the quarter. And those tax savings are significant. The New York Times puts it like this:

"Say a small business bought $600,000 worth of equipment and placed it in service - it could write off the $250,000, and half the remaining $350,000. That's a total first-year write-off of $425,000. The remaining $175,000 would have to be depreciated. If it's seven-year equipment, that would mean writing off $25,000 a year over the next seven years...The immediate write-off and resulting tax savings could give many businesses a welcome cash-flow advantage during a tough economic period"

The write-offs are good on items from office furniture to manufacturing equipment. There's also a special first year depreciation allowance for business vehicles, which means it's a good time to buy a car or truck for your business. Of course, the savings only really apply if you're purchasing something you need. That means you should probably hold off a year or two on buying that company Bentley.