Most Popular White Papers
Content provided in partnership with
Treat the rich
Reason, Jan, 2006 by Kerry Howley
Federal regulations are often sold as a way to rein in the biggest, most powerful corporations. Complicated accounting rules, tax requirements, and workplace regulations may eat up billions a year in compliance costs, but the alternative, it's assumed, is giant companies with unchecked power.
But some recent number-crunching by the U.S. Small Business Administration reveals that it's mom-and-pop outfits, not big box behemoths, who are hardest hit. Per employee, businesses with less than 20 workers shell out $7,647 for a combination of federal environmental, workplace, tax compliance and trade regulations. Businesses with more than 500 employees pay about 45 percent less a head. With federal expenses so far out of whack with the scale of U.S. businesses, it may be easier for the bigger players to survive all that red tape.
[GRAPHIC OMITTED]
COPYRIGHT 2006 Reason Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
