"Where" Error

This should be ultimately simple; it just doesn't work. I want to limit display to rows from a single table in which the status column contains i. Only options are i, c, o. After the select line I have "where status = i" (no quote marks). I get an error message to the "while" line that calls the table. When I limit by another column "where netreceipts > 500" I get the desired result. When I change it to "where netreceipts = 500" (and there is a 500) I get the error message above. What's the solution? Ken