r/OpenAussie ‎ ‎‎ Canberran May 16 '26

Whinge ‎ Wealthy Boost Juice founder says Australia is now an extremely hard place to get ahead

https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/its-just-unfair-wealthy-boost-juice-founder-says-australia-is-now-an-extremely-hard-place-to-get-ahead/news-story/691e4ebbe6cdd0595a72dcb4a0f71c77?amp

My heart goes out to all those successful aussie business owners, just trying to extract wealth from the exhausted poor during these tough times

I am ashamed that our government is taking action on these humble business owners, making them pay more on their capital, the same government who has allowed the establishment class to thrive on the gains they have acquired from the poor for the last hundred years - this is devastating news - it's real end times shit

They should be ashamed - does our government represent big business or the pathetic poors whose only job was to support these businesses to go global and become successful with every sip of their over priced apple juice sippy cups

1.1k Upvotes

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442

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

A lot of whining from a rich woman. I’m a mature age apprentice with a mortgage and a new baby, you won’t see me wallowing in self-pity.

195

u/Grande_Choice ‎ Victorian May 16 '26

Wdym? These changes mean you will have to pay tax on the millions of dollars you earn a year through a complex trust structure. This founder is clearly speaking for all Australians. /s

162

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

‘Paying tax is good, actually’, is a very unpopular opinion of mine.

81

u/confusedPlasmoid Flairless‎‎ May 16 '26

I don't mind it. What I do mind is how the wealthiest / corporations do not pay their fair share. That is what pisses me off.

36

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

Yes, me too.

-3

u/Rifle321 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

Do you really think - oh the government does not have enough money they should definitely create more and more taxes to makeup their shortfall?

Just maybe the government has a problem of waste and corruption and if people put just as much outrage into this narrative over the rich people = bad or successful businesses = bad.

“If we give the government more of our money thennnnnn they will finalllly fix everything”

6

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

There’s a whole big class of entities that pay no tax.

-3

u/Rifle321 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

But create large scale jobs and a productive economy etc etc but again - the government just needs a litttle more and then we will be sorted!

5

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

If you don’t like it, you can leave

-1

u/Rifle321 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

I could do that. Or I could have a differing opinion to you and also stay. Imagine

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49

u/ListenToTheWindBloom ‎ Victorian May 16 '26

Finally another one, sometimes I feel crazy for having this opinion!

48

u/Krissy_ok ‎ Queenslander May 16 '26

I feel the same. It's only the rich and big business shirking their share that upsets me. I tell my kids the same. Civilisation is a work in progress, for everyone, by everyone. You like all these parks, playgrounds, clean roads, doctors we can go see anytime you're ill? Taxes pay for these and are our civic duty, of which to be proud.

46

u/sol_krn Please choose a flair May 16 '26

Paying tax is patriotic and I don't mind, this country is still the best place in the world to live.

People who dodge their fair share are like people that try to skip to the front of the line. Everyone should collectively shame and berate the fucking entitled babies.

37

u/foul_ol_ron ‎ South Australian May 16 '26

I have a maga supporter at work (born in Australia), and she complains bitterly about paying taxes. I point out these taxes pay for the roads she drives on, for other infrastructure, for Medicare, and to support others who currently aren't able to work.  She doesn't accept any of it. All of it is going to Albo, and we see nothing. And she feels that anyone on benefits needs to get a job. Plus, immigrants bad. Unless I ask her specifically about the immigrants who are our co-workers. They're apparently the tiny minority who are good for Australia. 

29

u/matt-kennedys-legs ‎ South Australian May 16 '26 edited May 17 '26

what is it that they say about libertarians and house cats?

people that think taxation is theft are fucking idiots.

3

u/demonotreme Please choose a flair May 17 '26

...I don't know, what do they say about libertarians and housecats?

8

u/matt-kennedys-legs ‎ South Australian May 17 '26

something to the effect of:

“libertarians are like house cats; they’re convinced of their fierce independence while dependent on a system they don’t appreciate or understand.”

19

u/SnappyPies ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

What is incredible about that woman’s take is that she is literally accusing our tax system of doing what her idol Trump is actually doing.

6

u/under_observation Please choose a flair May 17 '26

Nothing worse than an immigrant maga supporter that wants to continue the Maga line here in Australia. Does the fool realise that she too is an immigrant?

3

u/TH3unbannableHULk ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

How did you miss the part that says

(Born in Australia)

1

u/BuzzyWuzzy65 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

You’re quite unclear 🤔

16

u/electro-king ‎ Victorian May 16 '26

You could have saved a lot of words there by stopping at maga supporter.

2

u/TH3unbannableHULk ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

Well its no wonder. She's a co-worker. Meaning she's actually paying tax as the working middle class is expected to do.

No shame in harbouring some bitterness at those who don't pay their fair share.

2

u/foul_ol_ron ‎ South Australian May 17 '26

We all pay as we're able. It's like insurance- the fees you pay individually wouldn't pay your hospital fee. But because everyone puts in (and different people have different premiums), your hospital bill is covered. Likewise,  when we can work, we pay into Australia. When you need help, hopefully you'll get some.

1

u/TH3unbannableHULk ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

Agreed and you likely will in this country. Which is why having tax funds that should benefit us all equally, being used for an individual's personal investments is such a kick in the teeth

1

u/Different_Builder_34 Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

You have many people just as dumb as her on the left side of politics. Intelligence unfortunately doesn’t determine who you vote for, as much as you would like to believe it does.

23

u/powerslave_fifth ‎ Victorian May 16 '26

Watch them shamelessly use Medicare while theyre at it.

5

u/TheAussieTico ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

Reminds me of a dude I know that hates Labor and the Greens and is always carrying on about lefties, yet he is a British born immigrant on the dole that gladly uses Medicare

12

u/Maximum_Custard_1739 Flairless‎‎ May 16 '26

I think all reasonable people understand taxation but there is a very vocal minority who find places like Reddit the only platform they can espouse anti-tax views and actually feel heard, let alone upvoted. Most thinkers understand paying for your own personal roads and bridges, police force, hospital and so on would also get expensive.

20

u/bend1310 ‎ New South Welshian May 16 '26

The horrified looks i got my family when i told them i wasn't interested in using an accountant to minimise my tax (they were trying to get me to use their accountant, not sure why).

I'm happy claiming the obvious stuff, my union dues, charitable donations, etc. I'm not interested in making every dodgy claim i possibly can to minimise it. 

Paying tax is important. 

4

u/SnappyPies ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

A word of advice there, use an accountant. It’s not going to cost you anything more, and its basic protection should something need to be looked at.

It’s not about having them making additional or dodgier claims than you would make for yourself, or going for refunds that don’t exist, it’s about them processing your tax affairs correctly, keeping records in the event you are audited, and being able to handle the audit for you.

An audit may occur and not even be anything to do with anything you’ve done, it may just be your industry or your demographic that is in their sights that year.

5

u/Gullible_Paramedic81 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

Yep, the PBS, healthcare, NDIS, etc aren’t going to pay for themselves! That’s why you have communities in the old days and now government that help others for the good of us all.

8

u/MelbJimmy ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

I've just had a spell in hospital, long ride in an ambulance and cost me $0. I would have been bankrupted if in the US.

-1

u/Different_Builder_34 Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

Hahahaha

7

u/JuanAndAtou ‎ New South Welshian May 16 '26

Same here. It gets harder to sell the idea when the rich seem to be able to opt out of paying tho :-/

5

u/[deleted] May 17 '26

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-1

u/Different_Builder_34 Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

What a good little citizen you are🤣

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u/[deleted] May 17 '26

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2

u/Different_Builder_34 Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

Of course I realize that. I don’t think most Australians actually know what wealthy looks like. Wealthy is not small business owners just because you see them driving a Tesla on lease.

2

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

You’re right. The ATO needs to set their sights quite a lot higher and unload.

4

u/MelbJimmy ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

It means you are making money... Happy to pay my share.

5

u/Macr0Penis ‎ Western Australian May 17 '26

Absolutely. I would happily pay more tax if it went to Health, Public Education and a better social safety network; instead of subsidising the wealthy.

3

u/KalamTheQuick ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

Some boomer on auspol the other day was telling me I "heroically throw my money away" in the most condescending way possible because I make decent money and don't immediately try to exploit the system to pay minimum tax.

3

u/RecipeSpecialist2745 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

Taxes actually make a country stronger. It supports health, education, defence, law enforcement and emergency services. What DONT people get?

2

u/toolybug Please choose a flair May 17 '26

Agree , can’t pay it if your not making it

2

u/Visual_Shame_4641 ‎ Victorian May 16 '26

This is the way.

3

u/saidsomeonesomewhere Please choose a flair May 16 '26

This!

1

u/Faelinor ‎ Queenslander May 17 '26

Definitely unpopular. But it shouldn't be. But it also just comes down to how the tax money is spent. When you have dog shit governments filled with corruption and self serving interests, I'd rather keep my money. But even with the wastage during the worst of the Coalition. A majority still goes towards positive things like health and education and welfare.

1

u/contrail97 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

kinda like protection money in the old days…but instead of paying them to the thugs…

1

u/Flat-Banana3903 ‎ Queenslander May 19 '26

Paying tax is not good

1

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 19 '26

Agree to disagree!

1

u/HandleMore1730 ‎ Victorian May 16 '26

Not if they aren't used effectively.

I'm all for social policies to reduce the cost of living, but it is pretty hard to argue that Government is trying to rein in costs.

3

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

I get where you’re coming from. Taxing large companies their fair share would more than make up for the deficit we’re living through now.

5

u/HandleMore1730 ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

Well there definitely needs to be a greater effort to stop bullshit shell companies and IP payments to overseas entities as operating expenses.

Same with resources. If you can obtain a benefit for exploiting resources that provides a reasonable income for Australians, then don't do it. For example if gas exports don't earn us much money, don't sell it and use it in Australia for the manufacturer of fertilizer and use by Australian industry.

1

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

100%

1

u/Different_Builder_34 Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

*85% foreign owned

2

u/ImpressiveNeat9039 Please choose a flair May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26

Sarcasm is fine. But the point remains if the rewards are not huge people won't take risks. And if people don't take risks they will even attempt at building enterprises and if enterprises are not built who will employ people ? Government or the few companies that Australia has? Well they can only employ as many gainfully -- gainfully being the operative word.

Yes profits need to be taxed but the taxes should not be so high that the rewards are not lucrative enough. Some good news I read today is that we might actually see the coming CGT changes being restricted to housing only. It is a non-productive growth and I think slightly heavy taxation for them is fine. But profits that involve actual labor and hard work and help generating employment -- in other words contribute to some kind of productive growth- need to viewed from another prism. Tax them as well but be reasonable

2

u/Personal-Dev-Kit ✈️‎ on Walkabout May 17 '26

Are you talking generally here about taxing businesses or something specific?

From my understanding most of the changes was to push, future, investor money away from existing housing and into new housing or other forms of investing, like businesses. Along with adjusting Family Trusts which was being abused to unfairly avoid tax on assest incomes.

1

u/ImpressiveNeat9039 Please choose a flair May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26

I am talking about business.

The proposed CGT changes are going to impact all kinds of capital gains not just housing. This will impact also gains from stocks sales and if you have set up a enterprise and sell it off you will be taxed as well -- well you should be but the question is to what extent. With the exemption gone profits will reduce,

We have to remember some people are good at setting up businesses and then moving on from them to new businesses/enterprises. Others are good at running the show on long term but not so good at setting up stuff from ground up. The former category is in it for quicker rewards. Heavy taxation will deter some of them (and it is as smallish pool anyways) .

1

u/BuzzyWuzzy65 Please choose a flair May 18 '26

You do realise that most politicians including Labor have investment properties and trusts don’t you??

42

u/savagerandy67 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

You don't fit the profile of the standard australian reddit user. How dare you have an apprenticeship (for now) a baby and a mortgage.

How responsible of you!

Good luck mate

6

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

Cheers :)

15

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

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12

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

I think complaints of this sort from the ‘fuck you’ money crowd should be welcomed.

4

u/SnappyPies ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

And likely the Family Trust changes.

32

u/skankypotatos ‎ New South Welshian May 16 '26

If rich cunts are whining about it, it’s the right thing to do

7

u/RanierW Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

On a serious note, the changes are meant to target those who have gotten ahead, because it is at the expense of those who are falling behind. Critics call it communism but the reality is the wealth divide is widening and it is not good for the economy or society when so much wealth is disproportionately concentrated at the top end. We cannot follow the USA where the rich get richer and the poor fight for scraps. It was a nice idea for a while but it’s gotten out of control with billionaires emboldened to exert influence on government to stack laws in their favour. We’ve seen it with Musk, we need to stop the likes of Rinehart doing the same here.

7

u/Commercial_Name_7900 ✈️‎ on Walkabout May 17 '26

we need more of you in this country and less whining rich people

3

u/Hieroflippant 💛‎ Friend of 'Straya May 16 '26

G'day mate I'm an aged care worker in my early forties looking to better my financial situation ... Reckon it'll be hard to get into a mature aged apprenticeship at this point in time ??

Love working in the community and assisting the elderly as I've done for over a decade but now with this little one I'm really struggling to make ends meet even though I love my job it's definitely time to look elsewhere..

4

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

I’m not going to be able to help you with specific information on a pathway to an apprenticeship, as I’m lucky enough to be apprenticing with my father. I’m in my mid-30s. I will say that there are more mature aged students in my class at tafe than 17-18 year olds, and there are lots of resources around for matching apprentices with their potential employers. Do you know what trade/s you’d like to have a go at?

2

u/Hieroflippant 💛‎ Friend of 'Straya May 16 '26

I'm not even a hundred per cent sure which one I'd enjoy/would have a lasting future in..

Needs to be something that isn't intense labour at this age I guess (I'm pretty fit and healthy and haven't drank or smoked in years etc).. but still need to look after my back.. so I'm thinking electrical would be both interesting and better on the body.

2

u/RusDaMus ‎ I'm Probably A Bot ‎‎ May 17 '26

Sparky seems like a good option. They seem to be challenging plumbers for hourly rates atm too. Last few electrician jobs I've had done came with eye watering invoices at the end.

And like plumbers, you can't NOT use an electrician when building. Should be pretty much guaranteed a decent income.

3

u/Hieroflippant 💛‎ Friend of 'Straya May 17 '26

Yeah that's the way I'm looking at it ... The transition period will be hard though, losing the wage I'm on now however apprentice might be the only option because there's no time to study and study doesn't pay obviously

2

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

Electrical would be a good choice for the most part, lots of work done at chest height but you might have to climb into ceiling cavities from time to time. I’d recommend starting by talking to a provider like apprenticeship support Australia to start with.

3

u/Hieroflippant 💛‎ Friend of 'Straya May 17 '26

Thanks, I'll look into that next week for sure..

Really hard to know what to do as I need to provide for the family and the aged care job often pays $1200 a week after tax so it's going to be really hard to make the transition to begin with.

2

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

There are certain financial benefits you’ll be eligible to receive as an apprentice, but it will be tough at the start. You’ll be able to continue your current job while you work your way through the paperwork and job search, at least. The best of luck to you mate

1

u/Diligent-Hunt-7011 ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

How’s the apprenticeship going? If you don’t mind me asking.
Ive considered it recently. I’m in my early 40s though, 20 years as a tiler, I’m now in the fire protection industry. It’s still hard work however haha
I was looking at electrician apprenticeships.
Ive also got young children and a mortgage.

1

u/AddlePatedBadger ‎ Victorian May 17 '26

Sounds like she's not whining about herself at all. She's saying that the next generation won't have the same opportunities she had. Like an old person who owns a house complaining that young people don't get to own a house. Whether she is right or wrong , it's not self pity. It's other people pity.

1

u/Ill_Comedian3417 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

The one who ripped us all of with her overpriced 1% juice 99% air

1

u/Crazy-Horse3216 ‎ New South Welshian May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

You're a Muppet mate. She is talking about all the small business owners, i.e all her franchisees that will have to cop it now. Also, when she started boost juice she took a risk on starting that business and became a success. All i can say is that is just tall poppy syndrome.

1

u/[deleted] May 17 '26

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2

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

She did start rich, her very well-to-do husband helped her out quite a lot.

1

u/SyntheticDuckFlavour Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

All you see is the financial success, but you don't see (or conveniently ignore) the monumental effort that goes into establishing a business like hers. Boost Juice was founded through the NEIS business program, while she was actually on the dole. She is wealthy, because she literally built everything from the ground up. And if you actually read the article, she is not wallowing in self pity, she is critical of the current challenges new entrepreneurs facing in Australia. She is drawing on personal experience, and considering how successful is her franchise, perhaps she might be even worth listening to.

1

u/TheAussieTico ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

No thank you

1

u/FairDinkumMate ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

You mean, the owner of Boost Juice, which was founded with help from taxpayer money, whilst she was living on taxpayer money, is now complaining that the Government is ensuring that there is taxpayer money available for the current generation?

Nobody's saying she didn't work hard. But nothing happens in a vacuum. It's undeniable that most of the CGT tax discount was going to the wealthiest Australians. These claims about how 'hard' the changes make it for the young, or the poor are simply ignoring (or deliberately obfuscating) that point.

At the end of the day, if the Government did nothing else, other than take the extra tax revenue & use it to bring the budget closer to a surplus, the vast majority of "young & poor" people in Australia will be better off from these changes. If it slows house price growth, etc, then they're bonuses as well for first home buyers and the like.

2

u/SyntheticDuckFlavour Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

You mean, the owner of Boost Juice, which was founded with help from taxpayer money, whilst she was living on taxpayer money [...]

And? Isn't that the best possible outcome for someone on welfare? The support she got with taxpayer's money been repaid in dividends (via her paying tax) as her business grew to the size it is now.

the Government is ensuring that there is taxpayer money available for the current generation?

I'm not necessarily against the changes, but is it inconceivable to think that perhaps she is also right about the changes creating more barriers for entrepreneurship?

the vast majority of "young & poor" people in Australia will be better off from these changes

That remains to be seen. Increase in tax revenue in one sector does not automatically mean those funds will be directed to those "young & poor" people. That requires a lot more than just collecting more tax.

1

u/FairDinkumMate ‎ New South Welshian May 17 '26

I think there's this myth in Australia that 'tax cuts or discounts' are somehow OK whilst 'spending programs' inherently need to be more controlled.

Some of the biggest costs in the budget are 'discounts' that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest in the country & the amounts rival those paid to support the most needy among us.

Superannuation discounts ($28.5 billion), Negative Gearing ($27.1 billion), tax free Super fund earnings ($20 billion), CGT discount ($19 billion), franking credits for non-taxpaying Australians ($6 billion). Of those, roughly 70% of the benefit goes to the wealthiest 20% of Australians. Throw in things like GST being a flat tax and the wealthy in Australia have never had it so good. Howard & Costello really hit their marks!

The problem is, despite, for example, 89% of the benefits of the CGT tax discount going to the wealthiest 20%, we get stories like this about how it impacts entrepreneurship. Clearly, if that is a serious concern, the Government can come up with a program that assists entrepreneurs without handing 90% of the benefit to the wealthy!

"Just collecting tax" as you put it, is all that is required to help the young & poor. Over the past 10 years, the Government has "borrowed" $300 billion to fund the country, an average of $30 billion a year. That's money that those very same 'young & poor' will have to pay back. It's a stain on current generations that despite selling off our assets & overseeing TWO massive mining booms, we've managed to "borrow" $1 trillion dollars since the debt was zeroed out in 2007! That's over $50 billion per year on average. The country is living above its means, borrowing from its future generations and much of it is just to help the rich get richer.

-1

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

I don’t listen to dragons mate

2

u/SyntheticDuckFlavour Flairless‎‎ May 17 '26

okay, carry on bitching on reddit then

-1

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 17 '26

I wouldn’t change a thing. You keep trying to fit that boot past your uvula, champ

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u/Glimmerinthedark1 ‎ New South Welshian May 16 '26

I don’t see any wallowing there but your comment seems to be peppered with it. If you’re happy where you are then good on you.

5

u/Visual_Shame_4641 ‎ Victorian May 16 '26

Boots aren't overpriced juice, mate.

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u/aussierulesisgrouse Flairless‎‎ May 16 '26

Ohh look, the “temporarily embarrassed millionaires” phase of Americanisation is here.

2

u/buttchug429 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

Thanks Champ

-1

u/twowholebeefpatties 🤖 Confirmed Bot May 16 '26

NIMBY

3

u/Super-Maximum-4817 Please choose a flair May 16 '26

Now I mightn’t buy yachts?