News

All news

  2. Happy Tax Freedom Day

    According to the OECD figures, this year tax freedom day is Monday 22 May, representing the 39.1% of the economy that is spent by the government.Today, Monday 22 May, is "Tax Freedom Day" - the first day this year that New Zealanders stop working for the Government and...

    Read more about Happy Tax Freedom Day

  6. OECD Report on income tax

    A report released last week by the OECD (a group of mostly rich countries), ‘Taxing Wages’, compares the effective tax rates within the OECD club. According to the report, the average earner with no children in New Zealand has the second-lowest effective tax rate in the OECD at...

    Read more about OECD Report on income tax

  9. Living Wage policies: The best of intentions but the worst of results

    Seventeen parking wardens contracted by Wellington City Council were not rehired in-house, with further job losses inevitable under the Council’s living wage policy, according to a new report we've released today authored by our Research Fellow Jim Rose.The report's key findings are:Seventeen Wellington City Council employees lost their...

    Read more about Living Wage policies: The best of intentions but the worst of results

  11. Lack of oversight by Greater Wellington Regional Council 'scary'

    A Greater Wellington Regional Council guarantee to cover $150 million of debt in the event of default by CentrePort has raised serious concerns as the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union reveals correspondence that shows the Council has received no documentation whatsoever about CentrePort's insurance cover, or any information about the impairment...

    Read more about Lack of oversight by Greater Wellington Regional Council 'scary'

  15. Australian Government pulls plug on Clinton Foundation funding

    With news that the Clinton Foundation is laying off 22 staffers due to the discontinuation of the Clinton Global Initiative, we have revealed that the Australian Government is cutting all financial ties with the Clinton Global Health Initiative.In 2014 Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced that the Australian Government had committed...

    Read more about Australian Government pulls plug on Clinton Foundation funding

  16. Government set to give Clinton Foundation another $5.5 million

    The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the Government has budgeted to give another $5.5 million dollars of taxpayers’ money to the controversial Clinton Foundation, despite Mrs Clinton’s failed US Presidential bid and controversy over improper ties between the Clinton Foundation, the State Department and donations from foreign governments to the...

    Read more about Government set to give Clinton Foundation another $5.5 million

  17. How we are fighting the war on government waste and making the case for tax cuts in 2017

    Three years fighting for taxpayersThe Taxpayers’ Union has today released its annual review, covering the last 12 months of operations.Click here to view in full-screen mode (opens a new window)The document concludes what has been a busy, and effective, year for the Union.  Our combined effort exposed, fought, and defeated the awful 'Taniwha Tax’...

    Read more about How we are fighting the war on government waste and making the case for tax cuts in 2017

  18. Trans-Tasman report calls for life-saving reforms to help smokers quit

    The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union,  Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance and MyChoice Australia have jointly launched a  report calling for the governments on both sides of the Tasman to legalise, and lightly regulate new technologies to help smokers quit. The report, E-cigarettes: Reducing the Harm of Smoking, builds on the report we released...

    Read more about Trans-Tasman report calls for life-saving reforms to help smokers quit

  19. Absolutely, positively wasteful: Wellington City Council shindig costs $51K (with video)

    The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that a Wellington City Council party, just weeks prior to the local body elections, to celebrate the signing of its new “sister city” agreement with Canberra, cost Wellington City ratepayers more than $51,000. The total cost included $14,850 spent on fashion models, ballet...

    Read more about Absolutely, positively wasteful: Wellington City Council shindig costs $51K (with video)

  21. Comprehensive victory in Unitary Plan "Taniwha Tax" campaign

    The Taniwha Tax is dead!Today with our sister group the Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance, we are celebrating a comprehensive victory in our “Taniwha Tax” campaign, with the Independent Hearings Panel recommending that Cultural Impact Assessment requirements, and the scheduled “sites of value” be deleted from the Unitary Plan.In April...

    Read more about Comprehensive victory in Unitary Plan "Taniwha Tax" campaign

  25. Taxpayers’ Union Victory: DOC extinguishes wasteful staff junkets to Australia

    In mid-2014, the Taxpayers’ Union blew the whistle on the Department of Conservation for spending over $100,000 to send 47 staff overseas to learn about controlled burning of bush – a fire fighting technique that is not even used in New Zealand.We had obtained under the Official Information...

    Read more about Taxpayers’ Union Victory: DOC extinguishes wasteful staff junkets to Australia

  26. Questions over covert taxpayer funding of Labour's Wellington mayoral campaign

    The Taxpayers’ Union has been leaked an email from a senior Labour Party insider which appears to reveal that the Labour Party have used taxpayer money to produce a promotional video of Wellington’s controversial Deputy Mayor, and mayoral candidate, Justin Lester.The email suggests that Labour’s Whip's Office, which...

    Read more about Questions over covert taxpayer funding of Labour's Wellington mayoral campaign

  29. Taxpayers forking out $683k per year for bureaucrats to watch SKY

    Central and local government agencies are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money every year on subscription TV services.The data for the last financial year shows some agencies such as KiwiRail and Auckland Council spending close to $50,000 each on TV subscriptions. The total for the agencies surveyed...

    Read more about Taxpayers forking out $683k per year for bureaucrats to watch SKY

  33. Tax Freedom Day 2016

    This year Budget Day falls on "Tax Freedom Day" - the first day that New Zealanders stop working for the Government and begin working for themselves.According to OECD figures general government total outlays now equal 40.0% of the New Zealand economy. That means, for the average Kiwi, when the clock...

    Read more about Tax Freedom Day 2016

  34. Op-Ed: Panama Papers don’t reveal what the opposition claimed – at least so far

    Originally published by the National Business Review, Monday Monday May 9, 2016Today was meant to be the day we learned what the Prime Minister was hiding in relation to the release of stolen client files from Mossack Fonseca, a law firm, which have been labelled the “Panama Papers.”  Here at...

    Read more about Op-Ed: Panama Papers don’t reveal what the opposition claimed – at least so far

  38. When politics is life and death

    On Monday I teamed up on Newstalk ZB with left wing commentator Josie Pagani to talk about the 11,000-strong petition calling on the Government to fund the new melanoma drug, Keytruda, and the support the campaign has received from opposition politicians, particularly Labour Party leader Andrew Little.The personal stories of people desperate...

    Read more about When politics is life and death

  42. LINZ charging excessive fees

    Today we revealed that Land Information New Zealand has overcharged New Zealanders by $40 million for its "Landonline" service, despite the requirement that it is to function on a cost-recovery basis.Data from LINZ shows the account as having a forecast surplus of $40.284 million at 1 July 2016.Landonline is the...

    Read more about LINZ charging excessive fees

  43. Upper Hutt Mayor responds to criticism

    Over the weekend we revealed more Upper City Council corporate welfare 'economic development' grants amounting to $375,000 of ratepayers’ money. Joining Burger Fuel, grant recipients include Subway, Vogue (a clothing store), Bed Bath and Beyond, and even a hairdresser!Stuff.co.nz covered our comments here:"It is economic trickery benefiting only the...

    Read more about Upper Hutt Mayor responds to criticism

  45. Government Ministers too posh to fly Jetstar?

    The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Ministers are not practicing what they preach in their apparent support for more competition in New Zealand’s skies. In August, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Transport Minister Simon Bridges welcomed Jetstar’s expansion into the regions. But despite the apparent support, it appears than not...

    Read more about Government Ministers too posh to fly Jetstar?

  49. WCC legal challenge

    The Taxpayers’ Union is currently considering legal action against Wellington City Council following the council voting to extend the so-called living wage to private contractors.Like others, our initial legal advice is that the Council is highly likely in breach of the Local Government Act which requires Council to...

    Read more about WCC legal challenge

  51. Taxing the ill

    DHBs charging millions for patients to parkOur new briefing paper on public hospital parking charges reveals that District Health Boards are raking in nearly $15 million per year in parking charges at New Zealand’s public hospitals.The information has been compiled from Official Information Act requests shows that more than $44...

    Read more about Taxing the ill

  52. Guest post: GST on online purchases

    Greg Harford, the General Manager of Public Affairs at Retail New Zealand has drafted the following on proposals to reduce the threshold for GST for imported goods purchased online.Many people agree that tax is a necessary evil that we need to provide core Government services. Many people also think that, if...

    Read more about Guest post: GST on online purchases

  54. MBIE revoke offer to meet

    The head of the government department that spent $140,474 on a TV screen, $67,339 on a sign and $5,480 on an arts consultant for its new Wellington offices, has retracted an offer made to the Taxpayers’ Union to meet about the Ministry’s spending.After we expressed public concerns last week about...

    Read more about MBIE revoke offer to meet

  55. Porky presents waste award to MBIE officials

    Porky, the Taxpayers’ Union government waste mascot, this morning visited the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to award a Government Waste Certificate of Achievement to David Smol, the Ministry's Chief Executive, for the Ministry’s extraordinary lavish office fit out.After some waiting, Mr Smol failed to front, but an MBIE official...

    Read more about Porky presents waste award to MBIE officials

  58. Tax Freedom Day 2015

    Today marks the first working day New Zealanders stop working for the Government and take home what they earn.  According to figures from the OECD, New Zealand’s total government outlays as a percentage of GDP is 41.4% this year, with Kiwis marking ‘Tax Freedom Day’ on Queens Birthday...

    Read more about Tax Freedom Day 2015

  60. How to avoid ACC over-payment

    ACC fees are being cut - so why is the NZTA trying to charge motorists more?Earlier this month ACC Minister, Nikki Kaye, announced cuts to the levies that motorists have to pay. The new fee regime will come into force from 1 July 2015. Unfortunately for taxpayers, it...

    Read more about How to avoid ACC over-payment

  61. Stop the Travel Tax

    In Budget 2015, Bill English has delivered a new tax on hard working New Zealanders - a tax on travel.Bill English's Travel Tax will clip the wings of Kiwi families - making it about $80 more expensive for a family of four to get the the Gold Coast.With...

    Read more about Stop the Travel Tax

  63. The $26m flag referendum

    During the 2014 election, part of National's campaign platform was to hold a referendum on the New Zealand flag.With the design process now underway, public opinion is divided over whether the $26m cost of the referendum is value for money.While some of the proposed designs have been taken...

    Read more about The $26m flag referendum

  64. IRD exercise video

    The IRD has spent more than $418,000 of taxpayer money on a campaign featuring a YouTube video of 80’s style aerobic exercises to promote filing of tax returns. You paid for it, so you might as well enjoy it:It is essential that the public are well informed on how...

    Read more about IRD exercise video

  66. Taniwha Tax petition launched

     After the launch of The Taniwha Tax: Briefing paper on Auckland Council's new Mana Whenua rules, we were inundated with emails from our members and supporters, aghast at the silent imposition of this regulatory tax upon Auckland property owners.Many expressed concern that Central Government appeared to be sitting...

    Read more about Taniwha Tax petition launched

  67. Check whether your property is one of the 18,000 affected by the Taniwha Tax

    Although some types of resource consent activities (such as discharging into water or air) may trigger 'cultural impact assessments' regardless of where they are in Auckland, the main impact is likely to be initially felt by property owners within 200m of more than 3,600 sites of value to Mana...

    Read more about Check whether your property is one of the 18,000 affected by the Taniwha Tax

  71. Bribe-O-Meter - cost of NZ First Northland bribes now more than $200 per NZ household

    Following another week of policy announcements on the Northland by-election campaign trail, NZ First is now clocking up promises that, if implemented, would cost more than $200 per New Zealand household.As of today, National has promised $63.5 million for Northland, while NZ First's promises total $378.9 million. The amounts...

    Read more about Bribe-O-Meter - cost of NZ First Northland bribes now more than $200 per NZ household

  73. Northland Bribe-O-Meter update

    Today we have released updated figures for our Northland by-election edition of the election costing Bribe-O-Meter. The figures show that National is catching up with NZ First in the amount of taxpayer funding pledged to the electorate.We have updated our figures to take account of Simon Bridges' Akerama...

    Read more about Northland Bribe-O-Meter update

  74. GST and online sales

    The Government has announced that it is currently investigating ways to ensure New Zealanders are charged GST on purchases they make online from foreign vendors. Netflix was one of the first companies to state that they do not intend on charging New Zealanders GST to use their service.Just...

    Read more about GST and online sales

  75. Ratepayer-funded fashion advice at Auckland Council

    Back-office Council staff have been receiving chic stylist advice courtesy of Auckland ratepayersDespite the Council cutting services and library hours, the council seemingly has money for make-up and fashion advice for back-office accounting staff.Material we’ve just released us show that the Council accountancy team hired image consultants Fox...

    Read more about Ratepayer-funded fashion advice at Auckland Council

  76. Northland Bribe-O-Meter

    While the by-election is a show-down in Northland, the cost of politicians’ pork-barrel politics will impact upon the pockets of all New Zealand taxpayersToday we are proud to relaunch our election Bribe-O-Meter to keep track of the pork-barrel promises being announced on the Northland campaign trail. The Bribe-O-Meter...

    Read more about Northland Bribe-O-Meter

  78. Massive cost blowout at IRD

    In what is the largest example of government waste the Taxpayers' Union has exposed so far, we can this morning reveal that the Government is about to blow $163 million on back peddling 2013 changes to the IRD's child support system.In 2013 the Government passed significant reform of...

    Read more about Massive cost blowout at IRD

  80. No one fighting for taxpayers

    The Remuneration Authority has approved another five and a half percent pay rise for backbench MPs, backdated to July last year.With inflation close to zero this 5.4 percent boost is a slap in the face to taxpayers. In what other profession do you get paid an allowance for your family’s travel expenses?For...

    Read more about No one fighting for taxpayers

  81. Auckland Council's ten very expensive tickets

      This morning we have released documents we've obtained from the Auckland Council revealing that ATEED, Auckland Council's economic development agency, has gifted $50,000 of ratepayers' money to the prestigious Remuera Golf Club for the Holden PGANZ Championship.Auckland Council claims to have no money, but finds $50,000 of 'spare' ratepayers' money...

    Read more about Auckland Council's ten very expensive tickets

  82. We did it!

    You spoke and they listened!Steven Joyce has announced that no taxpayer money is going to be used to support SkyCity’s convention centre. Instead, SkyCity are going back to the drawing board to come up with a cheaper design. Fantastic.In just a few days more than fifteen hundred people signed...

    Read more about We did it!

  87. Local councils want ability to impose regional income, fuel and sales taxes

    Local Government New Zealand, is spending considerable ratepayer money on a campaign promoting local income taxes, regional fuel taxes and regional GST-style regimes to increase the tax burden of local councils. LGNZ today launched a review document on various options for new taxes. You can download the paper here.This diagram illiterates well the growth...

    Read more about Local councils want ability to impose regional income, fuel and sales taxes

  89. Taxpayer support of Eleanor Catton

    The Taxpayers’ Union is releasing figures obtained from Creative NZ showing that author-turned-policy-critic, Eleanor Catton, has received tens of thousands of dollars worth of grants courtesy of New Zealand taxpayers.Some might question why Ms Catton would have a go at New Zealand when it's Kiwi taxpayers who have largely funded...

    Read more about Taxpayer support of Eleanor Catton

  90. HPA spends $1.2 million on "Not Beersies" campaign

    Today we released documents which detail the cost and focus group feedback on the ridiculous “Not Beersies” campaign by the Health Promotion Agency.The documents show that:the campaign had the least positive impact on entrenched, high-risk drinkers;it instead targets those least likely to face harm from alcohol consumption;the HPA spent at...

    Read more about HPA spends $1.2 million on "Not Beersies" campaign

  93. Len Brown's rates

    Today we released information showing that while Aucklanders have been facing hefty rates increases, rates for Len Brown’s seven bedroom mansion have been falling.Information obtained by the Taxpayers’ Union show that Mr Brown’s annual rates bill has fallen by several hundred dollars since becoming Mayor – from $3,994.05...

    Read more about Len Brown's rates

  94. Guest Post: Larry Mitchell on Auckland Council’s “Elephant in the Room”Guest Post: Larry Mitchell on Auckland Council’s “Elephant in the Room”

    In the last year there has been a lot of discussion regarding efforts by Auckland Council to fund its yawning funding gap, a gap that mostly relates to its transportation (roading) budgets. New tolls for existing motorways are a possibility, as well as distorying the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust so...

    Read more about Guest Post: Larry Mitchell on Auckland Council’s “Elephant in the Room”Guest Post: Larry Mitchell on Auckland Council’s “Elephant in the Room”

  97. Sky City corporate welfare

    Fairfax has picked up our comments on SkyCity's recent comments to prompt taxpayer funding of the controversial convention centre.Auckland Councillors blast Sky City 'corporate welfare' Stuff 22/12/2014Auckland ratepayers should not have to pay for a blow-out in the cost of the Sky City National Convention Centre, councillors say.Economic...

    Read more about Sky City corporate welfare

  98. Cruisin' on the taxpayer

    New Zealand taxpayers have forked out $9 million to pay for a  four-day UN conference in Samoa that included hiring the luxury P&O Pacific Jewel cruise liner. New Zealand covered the accommodation and operating costs, of September’s Small Island Developing States.We not aware of New Zealand taxpayers having ever chartered such...

    Read more about Cruisin' on the taxpayer

  100. Annual Review

    The Taxpayers’ Union has today released its annual review, covering the first 12 months of operations.We’re proud of the document, and what we’ve achieved to date, but there is still plenty to be done.There are hundreds of organisations that campaign for more government spending and a higher tax burden....

    Read more about Annual Review

Sign up here to find out how your tax dollars are really being spent