Hard-working tradie boss accuses government of 'punishing' small businesses - as he reveals how hard it is to own a company in 2026

By CAITLIN POWELL - NEWS REPORTER Published: 04:52, 23 May 2026 | Updated: 04:52, 23 May 2026 A tradie boss has accused the government of making it increasingly difficult to own a small business in Australia in a fiery rant that has since gone viral.  Joel Griffs, the owner of Melbourne-based carpentry company Heidi Build, recently spoke out about the challenges of working in the construction industry.  'Everyone (is) saying the same thing: Set your business up properly? Punished. Your partner works in the business? Punished. Spend 20 years building something and try to sell it? Punished,' he said in a video shared to social media on Thursday. 'I'm not political, but when the people doing the actual work start asking "Why bother?" - something's gone very wrong.  'We're all sick of hearing 'We support small business' and seeing actions that totally contradict that. The people I'm talking to aren't lazy.  'They're not looking for handouts, they're the people working stupid hours... and trying to build a better life for their families, and right now a lot of them are wondering if the sacrifice is even worth it any more.' It comes as small businesses, including those in the construction sector, are facing significant changes under the Albanese government's new Federal Budget. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced last week that from July 1, 2027, a tax deduction under negative gearing will only apply to new dwellings, not existing homes.  Tradie boss Joel Griffs (pictured) criticised the government for 'punishing' small businesses The 50 per cent capital gains tax (CGT) discount will also be scrapped in favour of a tax deduction based on inflation. The changes will not only impact properties but other assets, with a minimum 30 per cent tax on taxable income of discretionary trusts to be collected at the trustee level starting from July 1, 2028. This will impact Mr Griffs, who structures his company through a family trust to lower his tax burden, mitigate risk and offer a succession plan for his children. 'Now we have to put all this extra effort and cost into restructuring. Now bucket companies are null and void in structure,' he told the Daily Mail. 'They're hitting that work the hardest and are the biggest contributors anyway, and making it harder for us.' So what can the Albanese government do for businesses like his?  'First thing, don't make us have to change our corporate structures and there should be incentive to employ more and do more turnover,' he said. 'None of us want handouts or want anything drastic, just stop hitting us. The government says they want small business but their policy does not reflect that. I don't think they want small business in Australia any more, they want big business.' Mr Griffs, the owner of Melbourne-based carpentry company Heidi Build, recently spoke out about the challenges of working in the construction industry (pictured with his wife Lauren) Mr Griffs also shared a now-viral video about the pressures tradesmen face behind the scenes.  'What it doesn't show is the rest of it. Interrupted sleep, waking up at 2am thinking about cash flow,' he said. 'You're stretched thin and running on empty. Wake up the next day, straight back into it. 'It's constant pressure, knowing one wrong decision can cost you tens of thousands of dollars. 'And every decision doesn't just affect you, it affects your guys, their families, your family, you're constantly torn: tools or office, work or home, business or being a present dad and partner.  'It's physical, it's mental, and it's emotional.' Dozens of tradies echoed his concerns in the comments.   Mr Griffs said builders and carpenters are continuously under pressure behind the scenes (pictured, construction in Sydney) 'Every trade business owner should copy and paste this. Well done for sharing this,' a plumbing company wrote. A painting firm wrote: 'It's always good to be proud and show off your work, but honestly it's a lot of smoke and mirrors.  'Everyone is dealing with challenges and days where you want to give up. Social media definitely can show an unrealistic reality.' A carpenter said he would 'love to film and share the actual hard graft behind the scenes - a lot of (which) you spoke about in this reel. 'But with trying to run the business alongside my wife on top of us looking after two kids, one three and our littlest only one, I've barely got time to take a s*** these days.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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