Dear Mr English, I don't want a tax cut

[Robert Taylor]

As a clever and hard working person, I'm more interested in finding new ways to earn more and having the infrastructure that rewards entrepreneurialism and creativity than to get a few cents an hour extra in tax (that will go straight away in GST).

Heavy taxes are in fact a disincentive because they penalise people for hard work. Although I find his choice of words a bit ''colourful'' Im with Headbanger

[AllanB]

To ride my motorcycle on clean, well maintained roads.

Canterbury roads!!!!!
I swear they have a policy that involves identifying the most popular roads with motorcyclists, fixing them to a acceptable standard, then within a month sending a road gang out to dig a big fucking hole mid corner and filling it with either too little or too much seal. Yeah - that will slow the bikes down.

[shrub]

Heavy taxes are in fact a disincentive because they penalise people for hard work. Although I find his choice of words a bit ''colourful'' Im with Headbanger

But the thing is, we don't have heavy taxes - we used to (back when we led the OECD), but research shows Kiwis pay less in tax than almost any other country in the OECD. The PR firms hired by the political parties tell us we're paying too much tax, so we all agree - have you ever read 1984 or Animal Farm - a chilling portrayal of the world we are living in.

I'm a rare animal - cynical about both National and Labour, but then I am fairly well informed politically and have been in business for over 20 years and the more I learn the less i trust either big catch-all party.

[Smifffy]

But the thing is, we don't have heavy taxes - we used to (back when we led the OECD), but research shows Kiwis pay less in tax than almost any other country in the OECD. The PR firms hired by the political parties tell us we're paying too much tax, so we all agree - have you ever read 1984 or Animal Farm - a chilling portrayal of the world we are living in.

I'm a rare animal - cynical about both National and Labour, but then I am fairly well informed politically and have been in business for over 20 years and the more I learn the less i trust either big catch-all party.

I agree we pay less tax than some other countries, but I think that we also get far less for the tax we do pay than these same countries.

[shrub]

is that I am not looking to the government to give me money, whether that's in the form of a tax cut or a benefit payment because I actually have enough money, and if I wanted or needed more I'd go out and make it myself. I wouldn't refuse to improve my skills, build my business or work harder unless I got a tax cut first - I'd get off my arse and make the changes. Then I wouldn't need a tax cut.

And what I want the government to do is provide a civil society where people are valued ahead of profit (typically for overseas companies). I want the government to think beyond the next election, and who aren't going to sell everything they can.

And as a businessman I want an environment that supports small businesses to grow and succeed and not an environment that purely supports globalisation. I don't want to set up a factory in China to make things, I want to make them here. I don't want the entire banking system to be foreign owned, so when more money is to made lending money to Asian businesses than Kiwi businesses, I get turned down. I have some ideas that I'd like to develop - how about providing me with support to develop them?

[Hitcher]

Dear Mr English

I'd really appreciate a tax cut. Over the past couple of years increasing Government levies and taxes combined with no salary increases and rising costs of living have significantly eroded my earning power and that of tens of thousands of other hard-working New Zealanders. A tax cut is one way of offsetting those ravages.

While I understand your logic about increasing GST, I really think that you should be looking at a flat tax rate rather than making token adjustments to various income tax rates. I think it is unfair that people are discriminated against based on how much they earn. People who earn more also spend more (well, of their own money anyway) and GST is a way of the Government capitalising on that. Stepped tax regimes really hurt people at the cusp of those, particularly if they are entitled to income assistance (like Working For Families) which they can lose by earning a few more dollars a year.

There's a whole bunch of stuff I'd like the Goverment to provide for needy people and I'd also like to see the Air Force have some proper planes. But I appreciate that times are tough and we've been living beyond our means for many years, thanks to fiscal imprudence from a sequence of left-leaning Governments. I commend you to pay off the country's VISA card dept and refinance the mortgage before you think of borrowing more than we can afford to service the repayments on.

I also wish that some of this country's voters would learn that we can only truly become a first-world country when we're powered by a robust economy based on rewarding endeavour and hard work rather than a first-world economy based on borrowing more than we, or our grandchildren, can afford.

All the very best for your second Budget on the 20th of May.

Cheers -- Hitcher

[MisterD]

You're thinking way too short term and that's an exceptionally naive view of the finance that it takes to evade taxation. I know of a few people that pay absolute minimal tax and I mean they somehow JUST scrape under the minimal tax bracket, yet they earn over 200k (and there are lots of people that earn that kinda cash here). They have depreciating assets, businesses that constantly run at a loss, wouldn't surprise me if there's an offshore account in there somewhere too... Add that up would ya. I'd reackon you're looking at hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars that aren't going to where they should be.

So, a couple of points in response:

1) These people aren't going to see much out of the tax cut then are they? But they presumably spend a fair bit of money, they're not just stuffing mattresses with fivers, so the GST increase will hit them harder...

2) It costs money on lawyers and accountants to structure your affairs to avoid (I'll use the nice term for the legal activity) tax. It's quite possible to lower tax rates and increase tax take as it becomes easier just to pay up. I believe that's what happened under Reagan in the US.

[shrub]

I agree we pay less tax than some other countries, but I think that we also get far less for the tax we do pay than these same countries.

because since the 1980s we have been operating on the paradigm of cutting services to balance the books, and now we have a stripped infrastructure that delivers very little. Labour tried to rebuild infrastructure, but they got derailed and ended up doing a half arsed job which resulted in more bureaucracy and not much more services. Now we have an equally inept pack of idiots who will strip things back to nothing again without any thought to the long term outcomes of their actions.

[MisterD]

is that I am not looking to the government to give me money, whether that's in the form of a tax cut

If I can just stop you there. A tax cut is not the Government giving you money FFS, it's the Government taking less of YOUR money.

[Smifffy]

because since the 1980s we have been operating on the paradigm of cutting services to balance the books, and now we have a stripped infrastructure that delivers very little. Labour tried to rebuild infrastructure, but they got derailed and ended up doing a half arsed job which resulted in more bureaucracy and not much more services. Now we have an equally inept pack of idiots who will strip things back to nothing again without any thought to the long term outcomes of their actions.

So they should either do something with the tax they are taking, or give it back. Since the 1980s eh? You mean since the Lange government scrapped the Muldoon infrastructure projects in 1984?

[freedom-wedge]

Good points, but a little naive if you think those are the alternatives.

I used to think NZ could be like Denmark - fantastic public services (hospitals and the like) but enormous taxes.

I've since come to the conclusion that NZ politicians (of any colour) are so inept, that it'll make no difference. Therefore, I might as well take the money and buy health insurance & burglar alarms to protect me and mine.

(BTW, why shouldn't "clever and hard working" people be rewarded by getting to keep more of the fruits of their labour?)

aint this the truth, what need would we have of mr english if he didnt have this type of call, after all he is only deciding if he gives back what has already been taken, its a mugs game. we just have to work out who the real mugs are, them or us but this should be interesting and I only read 3 posts in .

[freedom-wedge]

Dear Mr English,

Im smart and clever - I earn good money - and I suppose I dont really need a Tax cut.

But fuck it - Im really looking forward to the one that is coming my way.

Its great to have a g'ment that is smart enough to make changes and gets away from the loony lefts idea of borrow, borrow, borrow spend, spend, spend and pandering to the bottom 5% of New Zealand.

Im putting my tax cut towards a nice holiday in Samoan beach resort.

I think that the next big wave or Mr English's mates policies might wrestle to wipe you out all the same

[shrub]

If I can just stop you there. A tax cut is not the Government giving you money FFS, it's the Government taking less of YOUR money.

I see living in a civil society something that I am willing to pay for, and if we live in a world where we can't afford to buy the essentials of a decent civil society I see no reason to pay less. But then I have always believed that life is about paying your way and taking responsibility for your own results. I want to live in a world that is better than the one we live in now, and I'm happy to contribute to that as opposed to just moaning about it.

[cowpoos]

Fuckers are welcome to cut back on the gravy trains and get their thieving fucking hands off my fucking money.

after the excesses of the lLabour...fucking drove me nuts with the bullshit they spent money on...and allowing ACC to become property speculaters??? they lost $$$$ out there massively...think about that when you ACC leveies go up soon for your rego

[Headbanger]

after the excesses of the lLabour...fucking drove me nuts with the bullshit they spent money on...and allowing ACC to become property speculaters??? they lost $$$$ out there massively...think about that when you ACC leveies go up soon for your rego

ACC investments made a (very healthy) profit.