Currently all wages with PAYE deducted are returned to IRD it would not be too hard to return the wages that have no PAYE deducted. IRD does an assessment on everyone, it is just that wage earners don't have to file anything as the tax is already deducted. Everyone gets the benefit of the tax cut at lower levels. A dumb or at best weak arguement SBQ.
The brain drain people are going to countries with higher tax rates so another weak arguement IMO. I think they are going for higher wages and might be sick of weak leadership in the NZ Parliament pandering to selfish ar*eholes on the left (welfare/handouts) and on the right (tax cuts/loose monetary policy)
I agree on the waste side of things.
$40,000 of taxpayer dollars for a farewell party
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politi...HXN7UMGIBPYE4/
These people are living in a different world. Sounds like time to check what is actually being achieved at the Ministry of Pacific Peoples other than lavish parties. You won't hear Labour or Greens criticising this as votes are more important than integrity and you suspect they are all living in the same taxpayer funded bubble.
3 CEOs costing 2.4mill for something that has not happened yet.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/three-wat...20%24815%2C500.
Might pay to check their affiliations to a political party.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/former...J7HGYNEXMNSD4/
Arrested at the airport on his way on a $92,000 taxpayer funded world holiday. Ripped off at least $1.4million
You are right the excess and waste seems endemic but I still do not see how ACT punishing poor people rectifies this.
Perhaps using your point that
"there is no greater incentive for an individual to want to earn more $$$, be more productive, than by telling them they can keep more of their after tax income?"
Is ACT using a carrot and stick approach? Assuming poor people are only poor because they are lazy or stupid making life harder for them might encourage them to become more aspirational and work harder or longer hours, not sure the reasoning for such a mean spirited tax policy..
How about someone earning $800,000 saving $38,269 in tax, where is the line where aspiration becomes greed? What are they aspiring to?
And while I think about it has anyone leaving NZ said they are leaving because tax rates are too high? Even the high profile property development guy or fashion lady or Mark Ellis did not state tax as their main reason for leaving. In fact one of the reasons Marc Ellis left was because
"I thought we were egalitarian and unified". I notice the likes of Bruce Cotteril fail to mention this when quoting Marc to make their point.
Repeating Neo Liberal mantras that sound reasonable is not the same as reality.