Beware of Carbon Tax Price Gouging

With all the recent press, you couldn’t help but know that the carbon tax kicked off on 1 July.

As a small business owner, you won’t be paying the carbon tax directly, but you will be hit with price increases that stem from the carbon tax.

Keep a wary eye out for businesses that falsely blame the carbon tax for raising the prices they charge you. If you suspect a price increase is too high, you are entitled to ask the business to justify their adjustment.

Remember: If you are not satisfied with the explanation you receive for a price increase, you are quite within your rights to report the business to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

And to get ready for the influx of complaints, the ACCC has set up a hotline just to deal with carbon tax complaints. The number is 1300 303 609.

In addition, the ACCC has released a new carbon price claim form for consumers and businesses to make a complaint if they suspect false price claims are being made about the carbon price. You can use the form to make a claim online here.

You should also build in the increased costs of anything you purchase into the price of the goods and services you sell. Make sure that any price increases you charge as a result of the carbon tax are fair and reasonable.

Otherwise, you might be on the receiving end of an enquiry from the ACCC.

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Tags: Carbon Tax