On 12 November 2008, the Assistant Treasurer announced the release of the Board of Taxation's scoping study of small business tax compliance costs. The release of the scoping study was welcomed by the Chairman of the Board of Taxation, Mr Richard Warburton AO.
The Board was asked to identify the key factors that influence small business compliance costs and provide some guidance on the issues that should be considered in reducing compliance costs for small business. The scoping study identifies areas where there might be opportunities to reduce compliance costs further.
The study confirms that compliance costs have a proportionately greater impact on smaller businesses than on larger businesses and that these compliance obligations appear to have been growing over time. As the small business sector is a key contributor to growth and employment, reducing small business compliance costs is vital to the Australian economy.
Copies of the Board's scoping study are available for download. Printed versions of the study are available by email request sent to taxboard@treasury.gov.au or by phoning the Board of Taxation Secretariat on 02 6263 4366.Background
On 4 November 2005 the then Government announced that it had asked the Board of Taxation to undertake a scoping study of tax compliance costs facing the small business sector, and provide a final report to the Treasurer.
In conducting the study, the Board took into account:
- the purpose and object of the law;
- the relationship between taxpayer compliance costs and government administration costs;
- costs incurred by business for non-tax reasons and any additional costs incurred by businesses or their advisors for tax reasons (tax compliance costs);
- transitional costs and ongoing tax compliance costs;
- taxpayer circumstances and commercial practices;
- other legislation; and
- any other matters the Board considers materially impact on small business tax compliance costs.
In addition, at the agreement of the Government, the Board considered the following recommendation from the Report of the Taskforce on Reducing Regulatory burdens on business (the Regulation Taskforce) in the scoping study:
Recommendation 5.48: Issues for consideration by Board of Taxation
The Board of Taxation considered the following areas in its scoping study of small business compliance costs:
- the simplified tax system;
- trust loss provisions and family trust elections;
- possible benefits of including additional information on activity statements to assist users;
- ways of reducing the number of PAYG withholding tables; and
- developing a systematic approach to adjusting thresholds in the tax law.
The Treasurer’s Press Release announced that the Board would work closely with small business (especially micro business) in undertaking the scoping study. In order to minimise the burden on business, the Board considered there was no need for individuals or organisations that made submissions to the Regulation Taskforce to also make submissions to the Board.
The Board received a number of written submissions, engaged a consultant to undertake research and prepare a report, and held a series of consultation meetings.
Further information on the scoping study can be obtained from the Board of Taxation Secretariat on 02 6263 4366.
