The idea
Small businesses are the life line of this country. Over 80% of people are employed in small businesses.
Yet we are treated the same as huge businesses in terms of red tape, reporting, tax. We are over burdened with rules, regulations, forms and tax that bigger businesses have Departments to deal with. We only have ourselves.
We are now expected by HMRC to not only understand the bewildering and complex rules, but to also to work out ourselves if we get things wrong and then to tell HMRC or else get fined. We do not know what we do not know! We should not be fined when the rules are so complex and when we make mistakes.
My small business has just been hit with a huge reevaluation by the VOA and hit with a huge backdated bill that we have no way of paying, due to no fault of our own. Why is the VOA allowed to make such huge backdated valuations? The shop we rent has been the same since we have rented it and we are being penalised. The VOA should not be allowed to backdate such evaluations.
We pay huge rent bills to the Local Authorities, yet if we want any services such as our rubbish collected, we have to pay again. Small businesses should be able to get some services from Local Authorities as part of their rates and not have to pay twice.
There should be recognition by way of lower taxes and national insurance for small business (as oppose to large business) and how they employ local people, and provide just as necessary services as the public sector
Why is it important?
Small business just will not survive under such red tape and such treatment