How New Zealanders really feel about tax – exclusive poll results

The useful part

As tax debates storm the election stage, what is the public mood on capital gains, land value and bed taxes? New Zealanders are warm on the idea of wealth tax, cool on land value tax, and more evenly split on capital gains tax. On this question, it is essentially a tie between those who think they should be paying less tax (45%) and paying about the right amount (44%) The numbers shift slightly for age.

How it works

• Narrow in on those on an income over $160,000, however, and 8% say they should pay more tax, with 36% saying they should pay less (note: the sample size on $160k-plus is 166).
• The monitor has shown cost of living towering above other concerns since 2022, and that is reflected in individuals' views about their personal tax contributions, with just one in 25 respondents saying they...
• Among those under 50, 48% think they should be paying less tax, while 39% of those 50 and over feel that way.
• The 50-plus cohort don't on the whole think they should be paying more – 52% say they're coughing up the right amount and 4% think it's not enough, compared with 38% and 5% for the under-50s.
• Of those earning more than $100,000 a year, 6% think they should pay more tax and 41% think they should pay less.

What to take from it

Views on taxes In this cost-of-living election, the National Party has doggedly focused on tax, an issue on which it clearly believes Labour is vulnerable. The campaign is heavy on the pledge that National will introduce no new taxes while Labour and its potential coalition partners are collectively proffering many more.

Details worth keeping

Do we think we're being taxed too much or too little?