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With their conservative promises, Labour and National lock in existing unfairness in New Zealand's tax system

  • Written by Jonathan Barrett, Senior Lecturer in Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
With their conservative promises, Labour and National lock in existing unfairness in New Zealand's tax systemFinance Minister and Labour finance spokesperson Grant Robertson: higher tax revenue will be spent on economic recovery.GettyImages

Ability to pay is the basic principle of tax fairness: people in a similar financial position should pay similar amounts of tax; people who can afford to pay more tax than others ought to pay more tax.

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