Pre–Federal Budget Submission 2022–2023: Proposal to replace the Tattoo Card with a Criminal History Check Card, as it contains no Competency Assessment.
- blackwidowtattoo2
- Nov 22
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 9
“The Tattoo Industry is not recognized as a retail entity; its business structure is lackadaisical with obstructed business fundamentals. Is the Australian Government receiving accurate tax revenue from this industry? Is it about time it is evaluated and the risk removed?”
Submission from me (I used my covid 6 month + business closure, time to potentially carve a better path forward or at least try to).
With this submission, I would like to introduce the tattoo industry as it stands, outline some major failings, and provide solutions aligned with people’s earning potential and the government’s objectives. I propose that a portion of the budget be set aside to support the progressive economics of what we know as the Tattoo industry, removing risk and stabilizing one of Australia’s most lucrative business sectors.
The tattoo industry is growing worldwide and steadily. Whether it is “liked” or not, this industry plays a strong economic role within Australia’s economy. It’s time to give it support and enforce professional business operations.
List of Contents
Information and Statistics
Industry Concerns
Risk / Concerns in Detail
Solution / Remedial Considerations
Support Reference
Information and Statistics
Here is some relevant information. Statistics are published by the company Inkpay. Inkpay is a financial lending agency for the public, solely for the acquisition of tattoo art. You can now finance your tattoo acquisition worldwide. https://www.instagram.com/inkpayofficial/
A. The current enterprise of small businesses called the tattoo industry currently funds Australian police authorities a sum of $826,450 annually—$86,450 approximately per annum in fees for NSW and QLD Tattoo and Operator Licenses combined.
B. In Australia only: NSW and QLD require Tattoo Artist Licenses and Tattoo Operator Licenses to conduct the trade. These are solely criminal history checks. There is no formal accreditation required to support skill.
The objective behind the licenses states:
“Currently the license requirements are based on the fitness and propriety of the applicant and their close associates rather than the applicant’s skill and experience.” – 2018
Tattoo Industry Revenue & Tax Snapshot – NSW + QLD (2025)
C. Operational Licensed Tattoo Shop Fees
There are 804 licensed tattoo premises across NSW (359) and Queensland (445).
Each pays an average annual licence fee of $1,000 (NSW ≈ $640, QLD ≈ $1,084).
Total collected annually: $804,000
→ No accreditation or competency standard is required.D. Tattoo Artist Licence Fees
Average 4.0 contracting artists per shop = 3,216 licensed artists across both states.
Average annual artist licence fee ≈ $500 (NSW $190–$640 range, QLD ≈ $550).
Total collected annually: $1,608,000
→ Again, no accreditation or competency standard attached.E. Average Tattoo Artist Income
Industry-confirmed average gross earnings: $50,000 per annum
(Indeed 2025: $49,900 | Payscale: $42,500–$55,000 | range $21k–$69k, with most early-career artists paying 40–60 % of takings to the shop owner).
F. Tax Payable on $50,000 Gross Income (ATO 2024–25 rates)
Income tax: $6,592
Medicare levy (2 %): $1,000
Total tax + levy: $7,592
Net take-home: $42,408G. Projected Total Tax Revenue from Artists
3,216 artists × $7,592 average tax/levy = $24,406,272 paid to the Australian Government annually.
The Real Question
Is the ATO actually receiving close to $24.4 million?
Almost certainly not.
Most artists only declare the 40–60 % they keep after shop splits, cash jobs often go unreported, and there is zero mandatory income verification tied to licensing.
Real taxable income per artist is frequently $20k–$35k, not $50k — meaning the true tax take could be as low as $10–$15 million.
Combined licence fees ($2.41 million) are guaranteed revenue.
The remaining $20+ million in projected tax relies entirely on self-reporting in an industry with no accreditation, no oversight, and a decades-old cash-heavy culture. A simple accreditation system tied to licensing would close the gap overnight.
Until then, the discrepancy remains one of the largest unaddressed revenue leaks in any licensed trade in Australia. “Most tattoo shops trade and pay in cash.”
H. A tattoo training information website reports: “The shopkeeper typically collects a 60–70% commission on each tattoo completed. So, if you complete a tattoo for $100, the shopkeeper’s commission is usually $60–$70, leaving you with $30–$40.”
I. National Geographic News (April 2000) reported that 15% of Americans were tattooed (≈40 million people).
J. Esquire Magazine (March 2002) estimated 1 in 8 Americans was tattooed. In Australia, this is approximately 1 in 5.
K. The tattoo industry is hot property. There are an estimated 20,000+ parlors in the United States. On average, a new establishment opens every day. Tattooing ranked as the sixth fastest-growing retail venture of the 1990s.
L. Tattoo shop owners can pay contracting artists in two ways:
Percentage: The more money the tattoo artist generates, the higher the owner’s income. This fluctuates monthly.
Booth rental: The owner receives a fixed amount regardless of the artist’s earnings, ideal during slow periods.
Industry Concerns
- Staffing
- Artists’ training and competency
- Entering a tattoo career
- Accountability/responsibility around supply, demand, staffing, apprenticeships
- Rights and subjectification
- Remuneration compliant with laws/taxation
- Governing agency for both artists and operators
- Insurance fees
- Acquiring premises
- Job legitimacy
- Financing and lending feasibility
- Timely license acquisition
- Appropriate licensing titles
- Retail act acknowledgement
- Occupational discrimination
- Unwanted association
- Unanimous nationwide rulings
- COVID-19
Risk / Concerns Explained
1. Staffing: Untrained or backyard tattoo artists risk spreading pathogens, creating associated enterprise risks.
2. Artists’ Training and Competency: No current system measures an artist’s skill or milestone achievements—creating risk.
3. Entering a Tattoo Career: No formal training exists. Apprenticeships are inadequate and often exploited as cash injections. Trainee accountability is nonexistent = risk.
4. Accountability / Responsibility: Without retail act guidelines, sourcing competent staff from overseas is impossible = risk.
5. Rights and Subjectification: Tattoo artists often face wage theft, forced disclaimer destruction for tax evasion, unpaid super and workers compensation. No one to turn to = risk.
6. Remuneration Compliance: Cash-only payments and two sets of books perpetuate criminal activity and leave artists financially insecure. Adequate tax reporting is unlikely = risk.
7. Governing Agency: No body offers remedial help for artists/operators. The ATG (Australian Tattoo Guild) operates as a tight-knit committee with limited focus on training or industry progression. Members of PTAA support artists with criminal records, ostracizing professionals = risk.
8. Insurance Fees: Extortionately high due to risk. Insurance requires affiliation disclosure, further limiting industry access.
9. Acquiring Premises: Body corporate restrictions and insurance premium spikes make leasing extremely difficult. Premium increases are passed to lessees, often exceeding $12K/year.
10. Job Legitimacy: No standard induction or employment formalities. Many artists cannot access banking, loans, or proper employment benefits.
11. Financing and Lendability: Tattoo artists are considered high-risk. Government funding is unavailable.
12. License Acquisition: Police charge for licenses but delays are extreme. Correspondence and prioritization are poor.
13. Appropriate Licensing: Licenses should reflect criminal history checks, permitting use in tattooing and other industries requiring clearance.
14. Retail Act: Tattoo industry is not outlined under any retail act, limiting staffing, sponsorship, and insurance disputes.
15. Occupational Discrimination: Stigma prevents leasing, loans, and business opportunities.
16. Unwanted Association: Artists can be penalized for association with unprofessional operations. Customers and staff are at risk.
17. Unanimous Nationwide Rules: Current licensing stifles artist movement and industry growth. Nationwide compliance is needed.
18. COVID-19: Non-essential closures and lack of support have severely impacted artists financially. Contractors are disproportionately affected.
Solution / Remedial Considerations
A. Regulate the industry with nationally recognized accreditation.
B. Classify tattooing under the retail act.
C. Allow sponsorship of skilled overseas tattoo artists.
D. Remove “contracting artists” as the only employment method.
E. Create incentives for proper employment packages.
F. Government tax subsidies and grants for apprenticeship + upskilling programs.
G. Implement apprenticeship and training competency standards.
H. Change Tattoo Artist Licenses in NSW and QLD to Criminal History Check Cards (Its what they are)!
I. Operator licenses managed by state governance, not police, issued fairly and promptly.
J. Competency requirements for infection control updated, beyond six-week 'online' courses.
K. Remove cash-based operations to formalize employment, improve financial security, and eliminate criminal exploitation of artists.
The EU has mandated tattoo ink safety compliance. Blue and green pigments linked to cancer were banned Jan 4, 2022. REACH-compliant inks are now required. Accreditation systems are essential to eliminate risk.
MY OWN Support Reference & Excerpts
Shop closure due to lost paperwork by NSW Fair Trading; 13-month license wait despite valid artist licenses.
Staffing competency issues.
Two fully fit-out premises lost due to insurance premium hikes in 2018 & 2020. (non-disclosed raises even though queried).
Declined 50 premises, forced to industrial location to maintain client base. (Due to risk)
Lease premiums escalated $22K in18 in months 2021, for the combined building + Covid closure - killed my third lease shop. WTH Autralian Government!
Litigators advise no grounds due to lack of regulatory act.
NSW Business Chamber did not support membership; occupational discrimination evident.
COVID-19 impacts with no grants or financial assistance.
“As a business owner, you have the right to run your business in any manner you see fit, provided you do not violate state or federal laws. The only limits to success are your ingenuity and commitment to achieving your goals.” (Just, not in Australia)
This is not Fair Operational Trading Business.
The worst part is that I submitted this back in 2022 (note: I have updated the stats for 2025 today).
I have yet to hear anything from anyone. I submitted it through the main government federal consideration portals and even sent emails to industry authority contacts, hoping for a more feasible system and how I could be of service?—but there is still no one in this industry willing or able to help, here...
These networked, self-appointed groups of associates—yes, they exist and are associated—simply do not care about any other organizations beyond their own circle.
This is not a professional, representative, or caring group; they have no interest in accountability and often act with intimidation.
The Australian governing bodies only seem to serve criminally affiliated interests within the industry, exploiting the system for their own gain while generating profit, rather than supporting those who actually need help for betterment within the industry.
"They accuse me of waging a crusade fueled by my own vendetta. Perhaps—but they haven’t even glimpsed a third of the storm behind my story…"
By Erika B Armstrong
