Taxpayers' Union Joins Global Effort to Defeat International Taxes

13 OCTOBER 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has joined forces with 21 other taxpayer and free market groups from around the world to support national tax autonomy and oppose international tax changes that include ‘harmonising' tax rates or introducing new supranational taxes. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:

“International efforts to subject New Zealanders to a taxes on sugar, consumer products and even financial transactions, are deeply concerning. We’ve joined forces with our overseas equivalents to highlight these developments."

"International taxes are potentially very problematic – they will tend to come on top of national taxes, the control will be small, opening the schemes up for potential corruption. Without voters to hold these policymakers accountable, the taxes will be easy to increase once they are in place."

The situation has become urgent in connection with the World Health Organization (WHO) meeting in Moscow starting today. The scope of the WHO meeting is to discuss raising excise taxes and to recommended uniform excise tax rates.

A copy of the international coalition letter can be viewed by clicking here.

ENDS

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