Show Notes
New research finds New Zealand's wealthiest families pay less than half the effective tax rate of ordinary New Zealanders – and the gap is growing. Economist Tayla Forward joins In Brief to unpack her new research into how our tax system favours the wealthy. We discuss the concentration of corporate ownership, the growing tax burden on wage earners, why past reforms have fallen short, and whether a capital gains tax or wealth tax could make the system fairer. Support independent journalism: Help us continue producing conversations about politics and power at publicinterest.nz 00:00 Highlights 00:30 Introduction 01:43 Why the IRD's landmark wealth study wasn't repeated 05:39 New findings: how little tax the wealthy pay 06:43 What counts as income for the super-rich? 10:16 How the wealthy minimise their tax bills 13:23 Fiscal drag: the growing tax burden on wage earners 16:23 How the tax system drives wealth inequality 18:10 The growing concentration of corporate ownership 21:20 Why we need both a capital gains tax and a wealth tax 23:23 Will Labour's capital gains tax make a difference? 24:32 Would a wealth tax affect ordinary New Zealanders? 25:45 Would taxing the rich cause capital flight? 29:39 Why is meaningful tax reform so difficult?
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