Successive governments have promised to reduce business red tape, whilst doing nothing about it. In fact, with regard to the tax system, ever-greater numbers of taxes and ever-greater complexity have increased burdens on businesses by turning firms into unpaid tax collectors.Research into the...

In this paper we present the results from a study of the role that tax incentives play in business owners’ decisions on capital investment and research and development (R&D) expenditure. We use semistructured interviews with fifteen business owners and directors and five financial advisers to...

The small-business sector is the breeding ground of new businesses, but distinguishing those firms that wish to grow from the hundreds of thousands of lifestyle firms is difficult. Studies suggest very few small firms seek growth, and fiscal policies aimed at promoting business growth could be...

Regulation remains a contentious topic between small firms, policy makers, and scholars. Business lobbying organizations persistently claim that regulation acts as a deterrent to economic activity. In contrast, policy makers and some scholars have argued that regulation creates net benefits for...