Sunrise – Why Small Business Pays More and Big Business Pays Less

Small business owners are doing it tough, and not quietly. They are carrying enormous tax burdens, paying PAYG in advance, navigating aggressive debt collection processes, and absorbing relentless increases in energy, insurance and supply costs. They don’t have in-house tax teams or global structuring options. They operate transparently, locally, and under constant compliance pressure.

At the same time, the Australian Taxation Office’s corporate transparency data shows that more than 1,200 large companies paid no tax in the last reporting period. Yes, much of this is legal, losses carried forward, depreciation schedules, R&D offsets, complex debt arrangements and international structuring.

But here’s the deeper question: why does enforcement feel sharper, faster and more personal for the smallest operators, the ones employing locally, sponsoring community sport and keeping regional economies alive?

This isn’t about being anti-business or anti-investment. It’s about structural imbalance.