Public Interest

In Brief: How New Zealand's tax system favours the rich

2026-10-30

New research finds New Zealand's wealthiest families pay less than half the effective tax rate of ordinary New Zealanders – and the gap is growing.

Economist Tayla Forward joins In Brief to unpack her new research into how our tax system favours the wealthy. We discuss the concentration of corporate ownership, the growing tax burden on wage earners, why past reforms have fallen short, and whether a capital gains tax or wealth tax could make the system fairer.

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00:00 Highlights

00:30 Introduction

01:43 Why the IRD's landmark wealth study wasn't repeated

05:39 New findings: how little tax the wealthy pay

06:43 What counts as income for the super-rich?

10:16 How the wealthy minimise their tax bills

13:23 Fiscal drag: the growing tax burden on wage earners

16:23 How the tax system drives wealth inequality

18:10 The growing concentration of corporate ownership

21:20 Why we need both a capital gains tax and a wealth tax

23:23 Will Labour's capital gains tax make a difference?

24:32 Would a wealth tax affect ordinary New Zealanders?

25:45 Would taxing the rich cause capital flight?

29:39 Why is meaningful tax reform so difficult?

No. of episodes

43

Latest episode

2026-10-30

Where can you listen?

Making sense of politics, power and the economy in Aotearoa NZ. Independent, accessible, audience-funded.