Final answer:
For Stork Associates, entertainment expenses from a skybox event with clients and a bona fide business discussion are partially deductible, typically 50% of the cost. Without a bona fide business discussion, the event expenses become non-deductible.
Step-by-step explanation:
The deductibility of expenses for a corporate skybox used for business entertainment purposes, such as the situation with Stork Associates, is governed by the tax code. When there is a bona fide business discussion associated with an event, the Internal Revenue Service allows companies to deduct a portion of the expenses incurred. For the specific event in question, where Stork entertained 18 clients and provided food and beverages at a cost of $1,300, the total deductible amount would typically be 50% of the cost directly related to business entertainment, assuming all expenses are substantiated and deemed ordinary and necessary for conducting business.
If no bona fide business discussion took place before or after the event, the associated expenses would generally be non-deductible according to tax laws. Therefore, in such a case, the deduction would be $0. This rule is in place because the IRS requires a direct connection between entertainment expenses and the active conduct of a company's trade or business.