Tax can be confusing – it seems to have its own special language, and politicians have a habit of saying things quickly and authoritatively about it that might not make much sense. So let’s clear that up – and see how New Zealand stacks up. The biggest tax promise from a major party so far … Read more
New Zealand’s narrow tax base benefits the wealthy and punishes the poor, says taxation academic Jonathan Barrett – and neither major party seems to want to do anything about it. Ability to pay is the basic principle of tax fairness: people in a similar financial position should pay similar amounts of tax; people who can … Read more
Uber’s habit of pushing tax rules to breaking point is the reason Terry Baucher refuses to use the ridesharing service. But price and convenience outweigh most people’s moral indignation, he writes. In the 2010s the true extent of aggressive tax planning practices by tech giants like Apple, Google and Facebook emerged. These behemoths simultaneously piled up … Read more
The government should go ahead and introduce a digital services tax to show the likes of Facebook and Google that their tax planning practices are unacceptable, writes Terry Baucher. Around the world tax authorities and the voting public are coming to the conclusion that current international taxation rules give digital companies an unfair advantage over traditional businesses. A … Read more