Media Release: Changes in tax thresholds sell us short
Changes to tax thresholds don’t compensate for changes in average earnings growth for the average earner with an income of $57,000 based on previous reports on fiscal drag by the Taxpayers’ Union.
“The effect is that the average worker is paying a higher average tax rate now than in 2010 — even after the introduction of this ‘families income’ package,” says Taxpayers’ Union Economist, Mac Mckenna.
“Stephen Joyce has sold us short.”
“Because income tax thresholds have not been adjusted to reflect growth in average earnings, New Zealanders have had sneaky tax hikes every year since 2010 that have pushed people into higher tax brackets.”
“The changes announced today, which will come into effect on 1 April 2018, do not even have the effect of returning the average tax rates faced by average income earners back to 2010 levels.”
“Given the huge surpluses, there is no excuse for the average income earner to paying more than in 2010. This is supposed to be a Government which believes in fiscal conservatism, and Budget 2017 doesn’t deliver.”
Notes:
- Effects of growth in average earnings for average earner ($57,000 pa)
- Annual income tax paid (current): $10,120
- Annual effect of average wage growth (based on changes in average earnings): $1,361 ($26.17 per week)
- Savings as a result of threshold changes: $1,060 ($20.38 per week).