Right now, small businesses across the country are feeling the pressure from increased costs of doing business and profit margins that keep reducing. They are now facing a whole new set of pressures: proposed tax changes that could reduce incentives to invest and grow, and place a heavier tax burden on many small, family businesses.
What does that mean?
It means many of the local businesses in your community – your favourite restaurant, the hairdresser who never cuts it too short, the pest control business – are worried about their future. They have less confidence to invest in expanding, are worried they may need to push back retirement, or that they might need to fully restructure their business or accept a hefty tax hike.
These aren’t large corporations making billions, these are hard-working families across the country, many of whom have invested in their business over many years, often prioritising growing the business over paying themselves a good wage or superannuation.
Stand with your local businesses and your community. We deserve a FairGo.
179,044
Growing businesses most exposed to change
2.5M+
Small businesses running on thin margins
350,000
Family-run businesses facing reduced flexibility
Local businesses are vital to our communities and our nation. They deserve a fair go to prosper. Add your name to this petition to urge your MP to support policies that enable small businesses to succeed.
We encourage you to customise this letter and to share your story.
Some small businesses say lifting the eligibility threshold for existing capital gains tax concessions will not resolve deeper concerns with Labor's overhaul. An Indigenous startup founder says it will still be much harder to attract investment and scale up.
We go beyond the social media memes to explain how Labor’s proposed capital gains tax and trust changes will increase (and reduce) tax bills for small business.
https://www.afr.com/technology/small-business-owners-reject-tech-start-up-cgt-special-treatment-20260522-p5zzre
“test message”
Anonymous - NSW, Australia
“Small businesses employ millions of Australians. A huge contribution of giving people work. The sad fact is 29,000 business have gone under since Labor have been in. A lot of people losing there jobs because of the costs to small business. https://www.liberal.org.au/.../labor-heads-to-election...”
John - VIC, Australia
“Small business is not the backbone of Australia under Labour, they want BIG government and small business closed - check the reset plan it's Albozos sheet music.”
Tony - NSW, Australia
“Did you know 29,000 businesses CLOSED doors under Labor? God knows how many jobs have gone! Negotiate your wages / pay and leave if you aren’t appreciated or valued. It’s an employee market atm !”
Anonymous - QLD, Australia
“A few suggestions for small business under $10m. Federal Government - Relief for Small Business impacted by Cyclone Alfred - this would cost the Government no up-front funding if they would give an exemption from GST for six months to help with the Small businesses financial recovery, they could also look at cancelling existing payment plans up to a value of $100,000, this way the businesses will survive and the Government will eventually be accumulating GST from them, if the businesses go out of business they will be making Nil. State Government - abolish Payroll Tax for business under $10m - apparently there is only 6% of businesses this will apply to, it would help these small businesses greatly, they have rescinded payroll tax for Drs, so other smaller industries should be included as well, especially Grouping ABN's. Red Tape, this is different for many businesses, when you talk to the Government about Red Tape they ask which ones are you referring to, however different businesses have different problems, Centrelink - Family payments for staff, Workers Compensation - timeframes - Superannuation - this takes a huge amount of time to collage, If the superannuation is going to weekly payments the workload and expense is going to be impossible for small business to absorb - and adds many more hours into the office to collect data for the Government, these departments tend to want things within 2 days and harrass with phone calls, emails etc, they have no comprehension of the workload for a small business and don't take into account the already huge workload. GST should be taken off at the terminal point, banks have been taking fees out of payments for years, why isn't the Government doing this, the Government will then get their GST up front and small business doesn't have all the paperwork involved. Our personal experiences since Covid 19 - we have increasing wages -increasing 6 monthly, increasing energy costs, increasing super, increasing rent, increasing cost of goods, we have a lower end clientele that are looking for discounts and deals all the time, we cannot in this cost of living crisis increase our costs to cover these increases daily. Small Business is being pushed to the brink with cost of living and now the on top of that we have a Cyclone disaster and have had no income for 5 days and we feel the Government has neglected the private sector for too long. No private sector, there is no money to run the Government of the Day and for them to have a budget. Somewhere along the line they need to help small business in the private sector a lot more than just saying we are the backbone of the country. The mental pressure everyday is extreme, the workload increases daily, no wages for ourselves can be paid, we are working 60 hours a week for nothing - just getting into more tax debt. We have had no turnover and closed for 5 days, however still have to pay wages, annual leave etc requested because the staff had those days off. We have been in business for more than 30 years and feel the impost now with Payroll Tax, Super, GST, Wages, Energy etc are the worst trading conditions ever and we don't want to be in business anymore. There will be another 100 staff out of work because we are at the end of our teether - many more small businesses feel the same way - the Government needs to look at Small Business conditions seriously. Due to the $1000 relief grant from the Government for the workers just announced for Cyclone Alfred, our staff don't want to come to work now the Cyclone has passed, they want to go out and spend their $1000 - this Grant was great for the right people however some of our staff only missed a day or two of work and we feel it should have been more means tested. As a small business owner we have yet to hear if we get anything from the Government to help survive this next catastrophe, the loss of stock, loss of turnover with no power and not being able to trade, damage to the premises etc etc. is all on our shoulders! We need immediate help for Small Businesses impacted by Cyclone Alfred and in the Zone.”
Glen - QLD, Australia
“Smaller businesses are hugely important in any community yet Australian communities and especially our public servants and politicians just don’t seem to care. The current fair work definition of small business is ridiculously tiny, set so low at less than 15 employees by simple headcount, in an era of unprecedented flexible work! 15 staff and the hapless business owner is on the hook for high-risk legislation such as union-led unfair dismissal, and redundancy costs for all staff if the business unexpectedly busts eg if the principal gets sick. Yhis is on top of our world leading employee add ons such as super and long service costs. Even school aged children can find it very hard to get their first after-school job with the increased government over reach. Insurance costs can be through the roof to help cover the costs of ploying even a very modest staff. The hours and hours of admin work expected by the government as ‘just a cost of business’ is enough to drive even the sturdiest amongst us to tears, and the ATO has proven time and again to interpret legislation in ways that are actively detrimental to their small business payers. In out twenty years of round-the-clock work, the ATO has gained far, far more income from out business than we have been able to retain for ourselves. Yet the Australian public mentality is scathing in terms of tax contributions from small business. Tax contributions have nearly broken us many times as our smaller business struggles through recessions or other challenges. Now Labor has signed off on Unions walking into all Australian businesses to gamify family livelihoods. The Australian environment is extremely unforgiving towards smaller and more local businesses. Psychologically we as a smaller business family have been nearly broken many times. Bankruptcy is as close as my husband’s injury or heart attack. To simply stay afloat requires much, much more than a 38 hour week and much of the pressure it must be said comes from the government. Australian governments don’t seem to want Australian small and medium businesses and the culture and community they bring. Australia seems to like big business mall stores and minimum wage go-nowhere jobs. Please, can we turn this attitude and hostile environment around. We want a brighter future and opportunities for the hard-working, the brave and the innovative to not only struggle from quarter to quarter or year to year, but to actually be rewarded, at least with a fair per-hour recompense. Vitality in a community and an economy needs smaller businesses. Let’s stop killing them. ”
Lisa - WA, Australia
“Yes and they employ millions of Australians. A huge contribution of giving people work. The sad fact it 29,000 business have gone under since Labor have been in. A lot of people losing there jobs because of the costs to small business. https://www.liberal.org.au/.../labor-heads-to-election...”
John - NSW, Australia
“How many has Labor wiped out? Almost 30,000 so far?”
Walter - QLD, Australia
“Small businesses are essential but unfortunately the Labor government is destroying them. Keep fighting”
Annette - NSW, Australia
“Don't let the big end of town off the hook.”
Peter - NSW, Australia
“Small business the countries largest employer”
Raymond - WA, Australia
“Covid killed my small business in 2019...never to return.”
Wil - QLD, Australia
“Labor has destroyed small businesses. Red tape, green tape, more and more compliance costs etc.”
Helen - VIC, Australia
“What is a Holiday ? Who runs my business when I'm un well or a familiy member dies ? No one $8000 PA rates ”
Tony - ACT, Australia