The purpose of this paper is to report on a comparative study of the impact on the SME economy (fewer than 250 employees) of the UK and US (New York State) tax regimes. This explorative study is part of the ongoing small business taxation research programme undertaken in association with NatWest...

Regulation remains a contentious topic between small firms, policy makers, and scholars. Business lobbying organizations persistently claim that regulation acts as a deterrent to economic activity. In contrast, policy makers and some scholars have argued that regulation creates net benefits for...

The small-business sector is the breeding ground of new businesses, but distinguishing those firms that wish to grow from the hundreds of thousands of lifestyle firms is difficult. Studies suggest very few small firms seek growth, and fiscal policies aimed at promoting business growth could be...

In this paper we present the results from a study of the role that tax incentives play in business owners’ decisions on capital investment and research and development (R&D) expenditure. We use semistructured interviews with fifteen business owners and directors and five financial advisers to...