Our Research: Taxes, Budget & Economy

Small business owners are the backbone of our economy, yet they feel at a disadvantage when it comes to tax policies, especially those that favor large corporations, and support targeted policies they see as benefitting the vast majority of small firms, not those that only benefit a few.

Wed, 05/03/2023

As recent banking closures like the Silicon Valley Bank collapse shake the financial system, Small Business Majority surveyed small business owners and decision-makers around the country to understand their concerns about banking and access to credit.

Thu, 05/12/2022
small business owner

As entrepreneurs continue to navigate a number of challenges operating their businesses, Small Business Majority surveyed small business owners and managers nationwide to understand their current business conditions and how they may have benefited from federal relief programs. The survey found that nearly two-thirds (65%) of small businesses felt more optimistic about their business prospects for this year's second quarter. Despite this optimism, small businesses are facing a number of challenges, including inflation, supply chain disruptions and workforce shortages.

Wed, 08/18/2021

As lawmakers in Washington consider a robust budget reconciliation package to invest in “human infrastructure” and debate how to pay for this plan, Small Business Majority surveyed small business owners and managers of operations at small businesses around the country to better understand their views on our tax system, as well as their opinions on tax policies that have been proposed to offset the costs of the human infrastructure plan. 

Tue, 06/08/2021
workers in infrastructure

The White House's $2 trillion proposed American Jobs Plan—an infrastructure reform plan—continues to be hotly debated on Capitol Hill, and proposals to pay for infrastructure investments via tax reforms are some of the most contested pieces of the plan. A new small business survey reveals that small businesses strongly favor key provisions of the American Jobs Plan, and they support paying for them by enacting reforms that would require wealthy corporations and individuals to pay a higher share of taxes.  

Wed, 01/27/2021
Closed business

Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners continue to experience significant setbacks and reduced customer demand. A national survey of small business owners spotlights the distressing effects of the pandemic and what owners anticipate in the months to come. The polling also reveals the disproportionate impact of the economic crisis on small business owners of color, particularly Black, Latino and Asian American/Pacific Islander entrepreneurs. 

Tue, 08/13/2019
Open for business

Policymakers at all levels, from town councils to the halls of Capitol Hill, emphasize the challenges of small businesses as a key talking point during political debates. But new opinion polling in four states—Illinois, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin—reveals small businesses feel their government officials don’t actually understand their challenges, and they support a wide array of policies to address their needs, some of which might come as a surprise to their elected officials.

Tue, 02/12/2019

This report compiles findings from focus groups and roundtable discussions with rural small business owners and other small business stakeholders in four states, as well as the results of a national poll of rural small business owners. The report also features recommendations for policymakers and service providers to increase opportunities for rural entrepreneurs.

Thu, 10/26/2017
Tax Poll

Small Business Majority released a scientific opinion poll on small business owners’ attitudes regarding tax reform. While current proposals are being sold as a boon for small businesses in a struggling economy, small business owners are in fact generally optimistic about the economy and rate healthcare, rather than taxes, as their top concern. Further, small business owners want Congress to prioritize making the tax system fair for small businesses over tax cuts.

Wed, 02/20/2013

Lawmakers dodged an economic bullet at the end of 2012 when they came to an 11th hour agreement on the highly publicized “fiscal cliff” issue. Not two months later, policymakers have yet another obstacle in their path that could have dire consequences for small business and the economy: what’s known in D.C.

Wed, 01/23/2013

For the second time since the summer of 2011, Congress is debating whether or not to raise the federal debt ceiling—the legal limit on how much the federal government can borrow. While addressing our debt is an important issue that carries weight for small business and the economy, some politicians have been misusing the debt ceiling as a mechanism for furthering their own partisan agendas.

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