National’s plan to support Small Businesses

Our small businesses are the backbone of our economy. National has their back.

From the local dairy to the mechanic, the family farm to the manufacturer, café or tourism operator, small businesses make New Zealand tick. They build our homes, produce our food, keep our towns busy and take Kiwi products to the world.

Our Investment Boost policy has been a game changer. Businesses can immediately deduct 20 per cent of the cost of eligible new productive assets, giving them a powerful incentive to invest in better equipment, technology and premises.

We have restored 90-day trials for employers of every size, given contractors greater certainty, and passed the Employment Leave Act to replace the Holidays Act with a simpler system. We are making it easier for businesses to get paid, expanding eInvoicing and opening banking to greater competition. We have replaced the RMA, reformed building rules and made it easier to use trusted overseas products.

But there is more to do. For too many owners, running a business still means evenings spent on paperwork, uncertainty before taking on another employee, months resolving a straightforward dispute, delays getting approvals, fees eating into every payment and opportunities overseas that are simply too difficult to pursue.

National’s plan changes that. We will make it easier for a small business to take the leap and become an employer. National will introduce a First Employee Support Package to help owners navigate requirements around payroll, employment agreements, tax, ACC and leave right from day one, and less paperwork for apprentices and seasonal workers.