Many rural businesses and farms will benefit from the tax overhaul passed this week by Congress. But there’s a catch: If the changes fail to spur economic growth as intended, programs that rural areas rely on could be on the chopping block.

One provision in the massive bill, which President Trump has yet to sign into law, allows small business owners to deduct 20 percent of their business income. It also expands the deduction for small business investment — a popular provision among farmers, who can write off the cost of things like a new tractor.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue praised the legislation, which includes a $1.5 trillion tax cut and changes the individual tax code.

Having traveled through our nation’s heartland for most of this year, I know that the hard-working, tax-paying people of American agriculture need relief,” the Republican said. “Most family farms are run as small businesses, and they should be able to keep more of what they earn to reinvest in their operations and take care of their families.”

Business owners will have a limited time to enjoy their new tax perks, as most are set to expire by 2025 unless extended by Congress.

“That’s a big problem,” Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen said. “For infrastructure, for the (farm) income safety net, for research.”

Read the full article by Grant Gerlock about the changes to the tax code from Harvest Public Media