Ministers receive Tax Working Group Report

  • Hon Grant Robertson
  • Hon Stuart Nash
Finance Revenue

Ministers have received the Tax Working Group’s Final Report on the structure, fairness and balance of New Zealand’s tax system, Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Revenue Minister Stuart Nash say.

In accordance with the Cabinet Manual, the Final Report will now be subject to the normal Cabinet process. It will then be publicly released.

Grant Robertson and Stuart Nash thanked the Tax Working Group experts for their hard work over the past year. They also thanked members of the public who made submissions on the Group’s Interim Report and who participated in public debate on the issues raised.

Timeline:

The Final Report will now be analysed by officials, discussed with Coalition and Confidence and Supply partners, and then presented to Cabinet on 18 February. The Tax Working Group will hold a media briefing on 21 February to release the Report, and the Government will give any initial responses at this time.

Ministers expect to release the Government’s full response to the Report in April 2019 following detailed discussions with officials and consultation between Government parties.

As previously indicated, it is the Government’s intention to pass any legislation to implement any policy changes arising from the report before the end of the Parliamentary term. No policy measures would come into force until 1 April 2021 – giving New Zealanders the chance to vote on any decisions made by the Government.