Australia’s leading chefs have joined the Restaurant & Catering Australia (RCA) association in calling for taxation reform.


The restaurant industry in Australia currently employs 180,000 people and is largely made up of small businesses. Peter Doyle, president of the NSW branch of the RCA, is warning however that the sector will face heavy down turn in the wake of the collapse of Ansett Australia airline and the US terrorist attacks.


The fringe benefits tax (FBT) is a specific target for industry campaigners. A tax implemented by the Australian government on business lunches, the FBT is working with the goods and services tax and non-deductibility to crush restaurant trade, according to Doyle.