Travel Expenses
You may spend up to $1,000 per election for your travel on behalf of a candidate, and $2,000 per year for party-related travel, with-out making a contribution. (If you are reimbursed for your travel expenses by someone other than the committee, the payment is considered a contribution from that person to the committee.)
Business
Services
Discounts on Food and Drink
If you are in the business of selling food and
beverages, your business may offer a discount to candidates and party committees
without making a contribution, even if your business is incorporated. The
discount price must at least equal the cost of the items. The value of the
discount--the difference between the normal charge and the amount paid by the
committee--must, however, remain within certain limits. The limit for a discount
to a candidate is $1,000 per election; the limit for a political party is $2,000
per year. Once the limits are exceeded, the excess amount is a contribution. An
incorporated business may not exceed the limits since contributions from
corporations are prohibited.
Legal and Accounting Services
Businesses, including corporations, may support candidates in yet another way. If the business employs individuals who perform legal or accounting services, the business may provide these services free to a political committee as long as certain qualifications are met:
* First, the firm may provide
services to a candidate committee or PAC only for the purpose of helping the
committee comply with the Federal campaign finance law.
*
Second, services on behalf of a party committee may be provided for any purpose
that does not directly further the election of a Federal
candidate.
* Third, the firm must use its own regular
employees (not outside consultants) to perform the service. The business may not
hire additional personnel to free regular employees to provide the
service.
* Fourth, the recipient committee must report the
value of the service (the amount paid by the employer).
Of course, when an individual personally volunteers
legal or accounting services to a committee, the above restrictions do not
apply.