The Government's response to the Henry Tax Review is predicted to give small businesses a real boost.

It is anticipated that small business will win in:

• Investment allowances
• Staged tax cuts
• Cuts in red tape
• Shortened assets depreciation

Make It Cheaper says: "Tax is in a word 'Painful'.  Anything that goes towards making managing tax for a small business easier and cheaper will be welcomed by many."

Full details weill be revealed on the afternoon of Monday 3rd May.

The Reserve Bank has accused the Big 4 banks of charging small business higher fees and extracting "fatter margins".

The share that the big banks take of the lending market is now at 75%, which was below 65% before the financial crisis.  Smaller lenders have been pushed out of the market through consolidation, and big bank dominance.

The main reason for high lending costs is the chance that a small business' loan may go bad, and not being repaid back.

Make It Cheaper says: "The simple response to this is, business do have a choice.  Whilst the Big 4 banks hold a dominant share of the market, there are still other lenders out there with competitive rates.

We'd recommend jumping online, and using a service such as InfoChoice to hunt down a new more competitive business loan deal.

Until businesses start voting with their feet and switching away from the Big 4, the message just won't get across.  It's down to the business owners to take action."

The Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) in association with Telstra have undertaken research into the outlook small businesses have on the current economic climate.  The research has revealed that whilst businesses are generally optimistic, access to funding and credit is being seen as a serious probelem by small businesses.

Jaye Radisich, CEO of COSBOA commented: "Small businesses need to be able to access affordable lines of credit to ensure that they can properly manage their businesses"

Make It Cheaper says: "It's a real concern for the economy when small business starts to raise these issues.  The Australain Government should look to take a leaf out of the US book, who have recently announced that they would shift $30 billion in financial bailout funding to community banks for lending to small businesses."

"What the US is planning could turn out to be a real win for small business, creating some much needed liquidity, and ultimately providing a cash boost which will help small businesses thrive and survive.  This is something the Australian Government seriously needs to consider."