Tag: Julia Gillard

SMEs continue to see insolvency as their biggest concern, with experts calling on the Government to implement tax breaks for small businesses at today’s Tax Forum.

Accountants are expressing concern that the financial performance of their small business clients are being put in danger by the carbon tax, with many convinced SMBs won’t be adequately compensated by the Government when the tax is implemented.

Retailers remain concerned about the impact of the carbon tax, with a survey revealing 83 percent expect the tax will mean consumers spend less and an even larger number reporting it will have a negative impact on profitability.

Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Brunswick became the country’s first metropolitan area to be connected to the National Broadband Network yesterday, with the trial phase due to run until September.

Brad Callaughan offers up a few tips for small businesses to survive the impact of the carbon tax.

“Consumers are going to be the first losers as they’ll have to wear the price increase passed on from small businesses, and the second loser will be small business with landlords keen to pass on any increase to their costs.”

The Federal Government has granted additional funding to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), to assist it in cracking down on businesses that gouge customers by making misleading carbon claims.

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.

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…”