Fairness, Equity, and Poverty Reduction

"I’m interested in greater equality in New Zealand. How would your party use tax policies to promote greater equality?"

"Many people in Aotearoa/NZ are poor. This is most critical for children. Do you intend to change our tax change to reduce poverty levels?"

"Do you think that those who have more wealth should contribute more - as a proportion of their wealth - to help those who are struggling?"

"Do you think it is good/acceptable that the richest people in this country pay on average a lower rate of tax that the people who earn the least – when you take into account all sources of income?"

Answer

Information to support the questions:

In March 2023 Inland Revenue released the results of research it had conducted into High Net Worth Individuals – the wealthiest 311 families. It found that:

If you subtract Govt. paid benefits away from someone’s tax, and add GST paid in, then a middle wealth New Zealander has an effective tax rate of 20.2% according to the Treasury research. The comparable median for the wealthiest families in New Zealand, from Inland Revenue’s research, is 9.4%. You can find a summary of the research here.