Small business survey - Bosses want red tape & tax slashed

A pre budget survey of 5000 small firms is revealing overwhelming support for tax cuts among business owners.

The Forum of Private Business survey shows significant support for Gordon Brown to announce reductions in so called stealth taxes like the minimum wage and national insurance contributions. Just under two thirds of businesses said a cutting back of the recently announced hike in the minimum wage would be of help. Meanwhile a massive 91 per cent supported a repeal of the one per cent increase in employers’ national insurance contributions.

A huge nine out of ten red tape weary employers, support calls for the Chancellor to announce an integration of the payment of PAYE and National Insurance.

A further three quarters of bosses believe increasing small business rates relief to match Scottish levels would be helpful.

The FPB’s Budget spokesman, Jim Redman, urged the Government to pay keen attention to the level of support, 76 per cent of employers, for evaluating in advance the cost of the budget for business.