Small business decides: Matt Nash on why tax relief is the priority for his construction company this election

This is first part of an ongoing series in which SmartCompany will speak to small business owners and members of the small business community about the issues that are most important to them in the lead up to the 2016 federal election. 

Matt Nash founded his construction company Prestige Surfaces back in 2010. Today, his business employs seven people. Nash’s business is based in Burwood, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The suburb falls under the federal division of Chisholm. The seat is held by Labor’s Anna Burke, however she is retiring and – given it is a margin seat – anything could happen when voters go to the ballot box on July 2.

“Tax cuts would be great. The tax cuts in the budget are not that significant, however, it’s heading in the right direction.

Tax cuts will certainly be helpful to small, medium and big business in the long run.

The GST remaining at 10% is also good news.

Money on infrastructure and that sort of thing is good because it in turn fuels jobs for people like myself and businesses in the construction industry.

Those are the main things that affect my business.

When I listened to the budget the other night, I thought they [the Turnbull government] were talking to me directly as a small business owner while not discriminating against anyone else either.

I’m so used to running my business the way I do under the current tax rate that if there are changes in favour of small business [from anyone], I’m all for it.”

For the 2016 federal election, SmartCompany is canvassing small businesses across the country to find out the issues most important to them. If you would like to get involved, email: news@smartcompany.com.au.