Tax data exposes gross inequity between the wealthiest and poorest New Zealanders

Government data today shows that the wealthiest New Zealanders aren’t paying their fair share of tax, whilst everyone else chips in, Green Party spokesperson on Finance Julie Anne Genter said today.

“More than 40 percent of the wealthiest New Zealanders are paying less tax than the lowest income New Zealanders – this is wrong.

“This data just shows why we need progressive tax reform. Working people with good incomes struggle to buy homes, while people who already have significant assets can leverage them to increase their own wealth.

“This is partly because we tax income from work, but we don’t tax wealth. Wealthy individuals get their income from untaxed or lowly taxed sources,” says Julie Anne Genter.

“The most straight forward solution is to introduce a Wealth Tax on individuals’ net wealth over $1 million – not including mortgages and other debt. This would only apply to the wealthiest six percent of New Zealanders,” says Green Party spokesperson on Revenue Chlöe Swarbrick.

“Ours is the only tax plan that will cease massive inter-generational wealth inequality growth, ensure strong public service funding in the years to come, and make sure those with the least have enough to live with dignity.”

ENDS

Action

Oppose New Zealand First’s Member’s Bill!

Support Trans Rights | Oppose the Gender Definition Bill

Action

Reject the Defining Gender Bill

Reject the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill introduced by New Zealand First.

Action

Oppose the 2026 budget

Sign our petition to show you oppose the Government's 2026 budget

Action

Leave our homes alone!

The Green Party is calling on the Government to stop its attack on people living in public housing - join our call today!

Action

Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill Submission Guide

Support Green MP Kahurangi Carter’s Bill to protect overdose emergency callers from legal risks!

Action

Keep Fees Free

Join our call to keep Fees Free for tertiary education!

Action

Protect Conservation Land

Sign out petition to oppose the Conservation Amendment Bill and protect conservation land!

Action

Stop the Fisheries Amendment Bill

Sign today to protect our moana.

Action

Electrify everything

Show your support for a National Electrification Plan!

Action

A home for everybody

A home for everybody - sign and share the open letter today!

Action

Tell us your stories about our special places

Share with us your stories about the places threatened by being fast tracked for mining permits.

Action

Protect our tamariki - Sign the open letter

Every child in Aotearoa deserves to grow up with safety and stability, wrapped in aroha. Sign our open letter today and help make that a reality!

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Finance Announcements

Story

NZ Rich Listers own as much wealth as half the country

The richest 150 New Zealand individuals and family dynasties now own as much between them as half of the country, the Green Party says.

Budget 2026 hides a nearly $500 million KiwiSaver hole across the public service

The Green Party says Budget 2026 leaves a hole of nearly half a billion dollars, the cost of the higher employer KiwiSaver contribution for most of...

Chlöe Swarbrick Budget speech 2026

Mr Speaker, the Greens want every New Zealander to feel proud of our country. Not just for our history; for granting women the vote, standing agai...

Cost of living driven by fossil fuels and power price hikes

The Green Party says new Stats NZ data shows a 2.1% increase in household living costs is driven by out of control fossil fuel and power prices, an...

Soaring power prices show urgent need for electrification

The Green Party says today's inflation figures show power prices are once again a key driver of the cost-of-living crisis, and reinforce calls for ...

The real cost of Willis’ failed economic strategy: empty chairs at Christmas

The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) shows Nicola Willis’ “year of growth” has not only totally failed to deliver but has come at a ste...

Story

Trickle-down tax cuts while the planet and social contract burns

The Government’s bloody-minded commitment to delivering trickle-down tax cuts at all costs comes at the expense of investment in people and planet.

Crumbs from the property speculator’s table

High-income property speculators will be the biggest winners from a National Party tax plan that will send house prices and rents through the roof,...

Ending Poverty Together - James Shaw Speech

The mark of a civilised society should be that - at the very least - everyone has a warm place to call home and food on the table.

Green Party’s new Income Guarantee for every New Zealander

The Green Party has today announced a new Income Guarantee for every New Zealander.

We don’t need to engineer a recession, Government can tax wealth

The Green Party is calling on the Government to take responsibility for reducing inflation by taxing wealth instead of leaving RBNZ to continue hik...

Richest NZers don’t pay their fair share - and Parliament can fix it

Long awaited High Wealth Individual Research released by Minister David Parker’s office today shows, again, the Government must act to tax wealth a...