“The worst kept secret in Canberra is the insatiable appetite of politicians and bureaucrats for regulating and controlling every aspect of lives due to a pathological belief that all problems can be solved through legislation”.

That’s no secret. Every man and his dog knows that. He and his dog also know what an ABN is. And, if more people are forced into the black market as claimed (lower prices) bad luck for the government, which is not all that interested in new business, preferring mass immigration to boost the old ones run by their gouging mates.

This writer has a personal axe to grind, looking to set up as a “contractual tutor” - something Australia would be gagging for I’m sure! And, he doesn’t like the rules. He is a student himself, giving no clue as to whether or not he is even a resident with a right to moan about Australian laws on anything.

He claims: “The more vexatious components of these reforms are those designed to limit access to an ABN, with such prescriptive approaches reflecting a complete lack of understanding around their use”.

Is there proof that government “reforms are … designed to limit access to an ABN”; or is it just his imagination and a wild guess because he is personally frustrated by reforms. It could well be that the government has been alerted to another fraud perpetrated by the growing number of shady characters showing up here. We need to hear the real story from Minister O’Dwyer.

Whether or not these “reforms are … designed to limit access to an ABN” it's a huge step in the wrong direction. We should be able to walk into any Centrelink and get an ABN or do one of many related tasks - up to and including starting a company.

Scams in foreign student education 'businesses' are well known. Perhaps it is this area that government is concerned about. No other business was mentioned by the writer.

Meanwhile the banks get away with Billions, some not very legally.

What's this hamfisted government got to do with red tape and the black economy? Not a blessed thing but just as useful as tits on a bull when it comes to the black economy.

We will always have a black economy and quite massive tax evasion by those who can because our tax laws were designed for just such a purpose, without being to clear about their actual intentions.

And designed to "screw joe average while those who rip often entirely unearned profit from the system pay little more than token money.

And so it will continue as the honest taxpayer not only makes good the avoided tax but the army of bureaucrats unnecessarily and impotently policing our tax compliance laws!

Only a cashless economy will stop tax fraud! Along with a tax system that eliminates avoidance or any incentive to avoid, giving just paying your full and legal share could not only be the least costly option!

But just aiding and abetting avoidance by not registering a sale could impact on both buyer and seller with extreme prejudice?

Not worth doing five years hard time for being caught either the buyer or seller of an untaxed good or service for the sake of a few lousy dollars!

We need real rather than the Clayton's tax reform along with mounting complexity, we've had to date, and that rotten scrambled egg tossed and replaced by one of two stand-alone, unavoidable options.

A !5% flat tax every boy and his dog pays or an expenditure tax of around 5% collected as money exists accounts in a cashless economy!

Time to do real tax reform rather than effing it up the fundamental and just making a bad situation horribly worse.

So brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen. your government never ever listens to those who employ them. Just screws them until they holler mummy!
Alan B.

Yes, governments, Labor, Liberal or greens , just don't get it.

I would love to employ more staff, but the cost of government levies, fees, taxes etc is ridiculous. Our local council charges me 3 times more the council rates compared to a house owner because they think small businesses are rolling in it.(I have a house converted to office space)

I pay as a small business, higher land tax, council rates, emergency services levy, workcover (for myself as well even though owners cant claim), ASIC fees, GST collection, wage collection, licence fees. The list goes on and on.

I have no problems paying tax on earnings, but if I did not have to pay close to $100000 a year in fees/levies, I could employ another 1 or 2 people. Which would help the economy far better than taxing small businesses.

I employ 2 people just to get the red tape done, I would rather these people serve customers and generate sales.

No I am not whingeing, why not tax religions instead of small business