Putting the " bite " on business !

It is a curious fact of life that all forms of government have the notion that anyone who runs their own business is " rich ".  The provision of basic services are divided into two important categories - " Domestic " and " Commercial " - and both are charged at very different rates.

Ask any owner of a small shop about electricity bills, water rates, any of the services that are a necessity in this modern world and you will find a very different charge is applied to what confronts the ordinary householder.  This is based on an assumed " ability to pay ".

Unfortunately, this mind set knows no boundaries.  The same thinking applies to a major industry that employs thousands and spreads over acres of land - and a tiny little operation in which a sole trader is trying to make a crust to support his or her family.    It is a positive disincentive for bright people to think outside the nine dots and create their own business in a world of scarce employment opportunities.

The opportunity to inflict higher charges on small business depended on that business having the use of premises.   The mobile trader who supplied services from a vehicle escapes because the facilities of his or her home fall under the " Domestic " category.   They were not claimed as a business expense.

So great is the need for more funds that some councils are pushing new horizons, and one council is seeking to license and charge dog walkers - for the use of their parks.   They reason that personal trainers who take their clients to a park for work outs are taxed for the privilege - so why not dog walkers ?

Dog walking is a new and expanding industry.  Many people find it hard to fit care of a family pet with heavy work requirements and depend on this new service to keep their animal fit and healthy.   It is also a boon to those with time limitations - such as single mothers with primary school age children - who can fit this activity into the days schedule and earn a little extra funding.

The obvious outcome of imposing a charge on the use of parks - is dog walkers avoiding such places and exercising their charges on public streets - and nature strips.   There remains the possibility of council rangers stopping any person walking a string of dogs and demanding to see some sort of license registration - but that opens up another deep pit of legal contention.

The fact remains that those who try to establish their own business are clearly in the cross hairs of all levels of government - who see them as " rich " and desperately seek to impose an elevated level of fees to satisfy their endless need for more funds.

The dog walking industry is the latest to feel the " bite " !