More clarity is needed around the Government’s carbon price policy, according to the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA), especially around the impact it will have on the 2 million Australian SMEs.
The Gillard Government has promised its Clean Energy Future program will support Australian jobs by assisting businesses to survive and prosper in a low carbon economy.
Consumer sentiment fell 8.3 percent in July, to levels not seen since May 2009, thanks to uncertainty about the carbon tax, concerns over the European financial crisis and the ongoing impact of seven rate rises between October 2009 and November 2010.
Although Julia Gillard detailed small business exemptions when she announced the carbon price on Sunday, convenience stores say the tax will mean they’ll be faced with greater costs – either to be passed on to consumers or absorbed at the expense of profitability.
Julian Smith asks MYOB CEO Tim Reed what impact he expects the carbon tax will have on SMEs.
“This new policy is also one of the first to be implemented in Australia without imposing any extra paperwork on small business owners…”
Tim Wolfenden blogs about how the carbon tax will likely affect already rising electricity prices.
“Although there’s definitely merit in the immediate need drive some positive action on climate change, I fear this will be a crippling blow for small and medium businesses Australia-wide.”
COSBOA is asking small businesses to provide information about how the carbon tax is likely to impact them, after people expressed disappointment it didn’t attack the carbon price scheme Julia Gillard announced on Sunday.
In the wake of yesterday’s Carbon Tax announcement, the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) has said it will do its best to ensure the scheme doesn’t disadvantage small business owners in time or cost.
Julia Gillard yesterday confirmed long-held speculation her Government would place a carbon tax of $23 a tonne on the country’s 500 worst polluters, with the price to rise 2.5 percent per annum each year after 2012.
The Tax Institute is calling for the Federal Government to double the duration of its planned two-day Tax Forum in October, and place the carbon tax at the top of the agenda.
