Business Tax Receipt Extensions, extend deadline for new start-up businesses

Business Tax Receipt Extensions, extend deadline for new start-up businesses

Started
August 26, 2019
Petition to
US Senate - Florida Bill Nelson and 3 others
Signatures: 8Next Goal: 10
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Why this petition matters

Started by Doris Flewellen

As a new start-up business, business owners are faced early on with unexpected challenges before they even acquire customers, or make their first sell. Deciding to open a business without working capitol, or without any type of financial funding is a risk all of it's own; new business owners can't afford to meet certain local, county, and state criteria in the beginning stages of launching their business. A new aspiring business owner with no start-up funding, first thought is to figure out how they're going to open their business, the second thought that comes to mind is, where are they going to come up with the funds required to obtain their tax receipt, and all the necessary requirements their obligated to even be allowed to go into business for themselves. These are the most damaging hindrances to starting a business.

Requiring a new start-up business that doesn't have  a solid foundation to build upon; to pay all sorts of local, county, and state fees just to say "Open for Business" in order to operate as a business hardly seems fair, moral, or ethical especially when the sole basis for the person starting the business is to financially support their families, and provide a decent living for themselves. Obligating any new start-up business with less than 5 employees to pay fees in excess of $500 just to start a business doesn't exhibit empathy for the frustrations, and tedious issues these businesses face in the beginning stages before they can even consider themselves "Business Owners", nor does it express sincere concern whether the business owner successfully starts his/her  business, but instead contribute to adding to the business owners frustrations, which results in the breaking of the business owners spirits, which ultimately leads to the business owner settling for seeking "government assistance" (Welfare; food assistance, medical assistance, housing assistance etc.) to provide for his/her family rather than seeking self-sufficiency. 

The majority of new business owners simply can't afford to take on local, county, and state fees all at once, most certainly, not effectively at the same time; these fees having no relevance, and not merely associated with the developmental stages of sustaining the business are irrelevant to the business operations, therefore are no importance to he businesses bottom line, which is it's contribution to "economic growth". On top of other necessary obligations, which are in fact relevant, and necessary to the business, and contribute to the existence, and basic operations of the business, such as, lease holdings, deposits, rent, utility expense, office supplies and expenses, insurance, and advertising, and marketing obligations are already overwhelming enough to a new start-up. Most new business owners have poor credit, no savings in the bank, no emergency funds, and no business start-up funding to back them, therefore 98% of new businesses are depending on their abilities to attract consumers based solely on their abilities, skills, and expertise to sustain the business alone in the first 1-5 years. 

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses represent 99.9 percent of all U.S. businesses. Small businesses created 1.9 million jobs in 2015 with some of the smallest firms - those with 20 employees or less - adding over half of the positions with a 1.1 million increase. As of 2018, the SBA estimates there are 30.2 million small businesses employing a total of 58.9 million workers.

Small businesses contribute to local economies by bringing growth and innovation to the community in which the business is established. Small businesses also help stimulate economic growth by providing employment opportunities to people who may not be employable by larger corporations. Small businesses tend to attract talent who invent new products or implement new solutions for existing ideas. Larger businesses also often benefit from small businesses within the same local community, as many large corporations depend on small businesses for the completion of various business functions through outsourcing.

The majority of new business owners simply can't afford to take on these fees on top of other obligations such as, deposits, rent, utility expense, office expenses, and insurance. Most new business owners have poor credit, no savings in the bank, no emergency funds, and no business start-up funding to back them. 

With this knowledge, local, county, and state governments need to support small businesses in efforts to ensure that more small businesses open each year by eliminating, or extending obligated deadlines to 12 months after the business has opened/launched. Meaning, this petition is to support a statewide change that will no longer require new start-up businesses to pay local, county, and statewide fees within the first year of operations. This includes, waiving, and/or extending deadlines for the following, not to exclude business tax receipts, zoning, inspections, and administration, and/or registration fees, and all applicable application fees. 

I impose this petition to enforce a forbearance, exemption, and/or waiver on behalf of new start-up businesses that will extend the deadline that requires start-ups to obtain local, county, and state requirements to operate a business. This petiton is in effort to change the current local, county, and state requirements, and/ or reduce the business tax obligations, including administration fees down to just one fee that covers all local, county, and state fees based on a sliding scale, and/or fixed rate by number of employees. This petition requests that all fees by all governing agencies shall be included, not to exclude local, county, and state agencies; shall be forgiven within the first year of business, and not to incur a debt of said fees upon the second year of business.

By signing this petition, you are in support of, and agree that these requests should be imposed by state legislature, and/or any governing agencies responsible of the handling of these requirements. You also agree that this request is necessary to help new start -up small businesses in the early stages of their business to ensure that their business gets a fair chance of equal opportunity to grow regard to cash on hand, credit history, background, race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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Signatures: 8Next Goal: 10
Support now
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Decision Makers

  • Bill NelsonUS Senate - Florida
  • Mayor Wayne Messam
  • Senator Bill Nelson
  • Representative Shevrin D. Jones