No offence intended, but apparently you have never been a business owner.
I have been on both sides of the fence - both a clock-punching employee and now business owner. Trust me, I pay a much larger percentage of my income in taxes now as a business owner. The small business owners are taxed way beyond what is reasonable. I don't mind paying my fair share, but I've been screwed with taxes for so long I'm getting sore.
That is a huge understatement!
I've owned two businesses over the last 15 years and the taxes are incredible. Between the mountains of paperwork and the no time extensions on payments. The government doesn't care if you haven't been paid for the work you've done. They don't care that your customers pay in 45 to 90 days. They want their payments and that is just how it is. Pay on time or pay the fines.
Pass on the costs!! raise prices and there goes sales out the window. Most of the time you have to lower your margins to maintain the current customer base.
Perhaps owning a contracting/construction business is different then other businesses but I doubt it. I never minded paying taxes, it's the price of living in a democracy, or a republic if you prefer, but small businesses, those classified as less then 500 employees, pay a hell of a lot of taxes every month and yes you do get sh*t taxed out of you....
Ed