The movement for a prosperous New Zealand
Tax wealth,
not work.
New Zealand taxes the wages of nurses, teachers and tradies but barely touches the fortunes that grow quietly in property and shares. Everyone should contribute their fair share to invest in our future.
The problem
Most Kiwis earn their living through work, and pay tax on every dollar earned. But income from things like capital gains on investment property, large inheritances, and share portfolio profits is untouched. The result is a system that leans heaviest on those who can least afford it and starves us of the means to invest in our future.
- → Wage earners shoulder an unfair share of the tax take.
- → NZ is the only country with no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, and no wealth tax.
- → Housing is treated more like a money maker than a necessity.
The solution
Wealth should be taxed like work. A good start is a land value tax. It's a modest annual charge on the value of land, not the buildings or work built on top of it.
A tax that's hard to dodge
Land can't be hidden offshore, moved, or disguised in a trust. Taxing it lets us ease the load on the wages and effort of ordinary Kiwis.
Cheaper homes, less speculation
A holding cost on land takes the easy money out of land-banking and property portfolios. It nudges house prices down and frees up land to build on.
Investment that builds, not hoards
When land stops being the best investment, capital flows into businesses, jobs and innovation.
Billions to invest in our future
Even a modest rate would raise billions a year to fund the things a growing country needs.
A future worth building
This isn't about punishing success or pulling anyone down. It's about everyone contributing their fair share to invest in the future:
Warm, dry, affordable homes
Treat housing as somewhere to live, not just an asset to flip.
Healthcare without the wait
Shorter queues, GP visits people can afford, and a system that catches problems early instead of expensively late.
Schools and skills that lift wages
Every kid and every worker with a genuine shot. Skills and education are what raise productivity and pay over the long run.
Investment in the industries of tomorrow
Back research, tech and clean energy so we grow the high-value industries that create good jobs for the decades ahead.
Join the movement
Change doesn't start in parliament, it starts at the kitchen table, break room, and group chat.
Talk to your mates, Talk to your fam.
Tax wealth, not work.
Learn more
You're not alone in thinking this. Voices across the world have been making the case for years. Here's where to start:
- Opportunity Land Value Tax Policy Opportunity Party - 1.75% Land Value Tax to fund a Citizen's Income.
- ‘Fundamental unfairness’ of how the wealthy are taxed IRD Report - write up by The Spinoff shows how the wealthy aren't paying their fair share.
- The Case for a Land Value Tax FT - The case for a land value tax in the US/UK rings true in NZ too.
- Gary's Economics UK Movement - ex-Citi trader Gary Stevenson on why wealth inequality is the story of our time.
More coming soon
This is just the start. Check back as the movement grows.
Got ideas on how to further the cause or spread the message? Reach out at [email protected].