Published on 09/04/2025 by Any Business.Com.Au

Budget Business: Did the Federal Budget Deliver for Small Businesses?

No doubt small business owners and finance commentators are still unpacking the Federal Budget announcements handed down late last month, with cost-of-living pressures still biting and the survival of small businesses front of mind.

Some Government initiatives announced have direct implications for small business owners and potential business purchasers and continue to be closely monitored leading into the May 3 election.

So What's in it for Small Business?

According to the government, year's Federal Budget will deliver targeted support to ease financial pressures for small and family businesses.

More than $2 billion in new investments have been outlined to support Australia's 2.6 million small businesses, offering new measures to cut red tape and extending the energy bill relief.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) inquiry into the National Electricity Market will be extended for 12 months to help ensure small businesses are getting a fair deal from their energy retailer.

The Federal Government is also extending the Energy Bill Relief program for six months until the 31 December 2025. Around one million eligible small businesses will receive energy bill rebates of $75 per quarter to provide cost-of-living relief and manage high energy prices.

Support for Hospitality Sector and Alcohol Producers

Do you run or plan to purchase a hospitality venue, brewery, distillery or winery? The Government is making changes to the alcohol tax settings in Australia, supporting local jobs and regional tourism.

This includes pausing indexation on draught beer excise and excise equivalent customs duty rates from August 2025 for a two-year period.

The Government will also increase support available under the existing excise remission scheme for manufacturers of alcoholic beverages and Wine Equalisation Tax Producer rebate.

This will reduce industry costs by $165 million over five years.

Prioritising a Fair and Equitable Operating Environment

The Federal Government will work with states and territories on extending Unfair Trading Practices protections to small businesses by:

  • Strengthening enforcement of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Franchising Code of Conduct by investing $7.1 million over two years.
  • Extending protections from Unfair Contract Terms and Unfair Trading Practices to businesses regulated by the Franchising Code of Conduct, including automotive dealers.
  • Providing additional funding to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to ensure a more transparent and effective regulatory framework for the franchising sector.
  • Extending unfair trading practice protections to more small businesses to address the imbalance when engaging with large businesses.
  • Investing $2.9 million to help fresh produce suppliers to understand and enforce their rights under the Food and Grocery Code.

Expand the Shadow Economy Compliance Program

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will receive $155.5 million to extend and expand the Shadow Economy Compliance Program.

This will enable the ATO to reduce shadow economy behaviour such as worker exploitation and under‑reporting of taxable income that allows non‑compliant businesses to undercut those doing the right thing.

Australia's Business Registers

$207 million will be invested to continue the stabilisation of Australia's business registers and undertake targeted uplifts, including linking Director Identification Numbers to the Company Register.

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AnyBusiness.com.au

Curtis is a leading expert in the business-for-sale industry, serving as a senior content creator at anybusiness.com.au.

With a career spanning over fifteen years, Curtis has accumulated extensive knowledge in the domain of business sales, acquisitions, and valuations. His deep understanding of market dynamics and his ability to translate complex industry jargon into accessible insights make him a trusted resource for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to buy or sell businesses.

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