Tax Justice Aotearoa (TJA) welcome the tax principles laid out by Revenue Minister David Parker this afternoon at the organisation’s Tax on Tuesdays event in Wellington. TJA says creating a fact-based tax system will help prevent and reduce economic inequality by improving transparency and taxing wealth properly:

“This government has finally recognised what a powerful tool our tax system can be to create or destroy economic equality. Every single person pays tax in Aotearoa, but it is the wealthiest who avoid paying their fair share. With the cost of living skyrocketing, and everyday Kiwis struggling to make ends meet, this inequality has to stop.

“It is good to hear that this government acknowledges that our current system is unfair and wants to do something about it and better quality information is an important first step,” says Glenn Barclay, Chair of Tax Justice Aotearoa. “However, it is important that this is not just a one-off. It needs to lead to effective policy change to address the tax system’s contribution to inequality. We look forward to engaging in further discussions on the legislation and on future policy initiatives as the data collected makes things clearer.”

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