Yes, on the surface. You’re assuming that the business owner is some uber wealthy person that doesn’t mind missing the dividends because he’s happy on his yacht.
While that is true for a lot of large companies (kind of like the ones that shouldn’t be asking for state aid), for the small ones it’s very different.
As a small business owner myself, it matters hugely - if the company makes $100,000 in profit and I have to pay two employees $40k each, I’m barely making ends meet.
How does the size of the business change the material facts here? You shouldn't be able to take profit when you're sitting on top of a 0% interest government loan intended to keep you solvent.
While that is true for a lot of large companies (kind of like the ones that shouldn’t be asking for state aid), for the small ones it’s very different.
As a small business owner myself, it matters hugely - if the company makes $100,000 in profit and I have to pay two employees $40k each, I’m barely making ends meet.