Annabel Young National Revenue Spokesperson

Sunday 15 April 2001

So-called 'Green Market' part of $9 billion 'Black Market'

So-called 'Green' barter activities are part or a $9 billion Black Market, yet the Finance Minister remains uninterested in confronting this tax dodge, National's Revenue spokesperson Annabel Young said today.

"The Green Market is just another form of the Black Market because the transactions are realistically not subject to income tax or GST. The $9 billion Black Market includes so-called 'Green' activity but the Government isn't doing anything to police it.

"Parliamentary questions have revealed that the IRD isn't policing the Green Market. There are no undercover operations to detect the extent of the market or to pick up large-scale operations. All they do is look at the odd bit of international research!

"The Green Party actively promotes bartering and 'people-to-people' activity which is a clear invitation to cut the taxman out of their business loop. They are a partner to the Labour-Alliance Government yet they are encouraging participation in this tax dodge. When transactions move from 'the odd pot of honey sold over the fence' to fencing and roofing you are entering a different scale of things.

"Honest taxpayers end up footing the bill when the Minister of Revenue doesn't treat this problem seriously and the Green Party encourages people to partake in what is effectively tax evasion.

"Greens are very pious about the environment but where do they stand when it comes to making sure that proper taxes are collected on regular, systematic work?" asked Annabel Young.

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