New Zealand’s Tax Policy Work Programme Released
- Nov 17, 2025
- 1 min read
Under the Generic Tax Policy Process (“GTPP”), “Inland Revenue is primarily responsible for the detailed design, implementation and review of tax policy.” As part of the GTPP, Inland Revenue in conjunction with the Minister of Revenue periodically release policy work programmes reflecting the Government's current priorities. As we wind down to the end of the calendar year, the latest and refreshed policy work programme has been publicly released.
There are four key workstreams in the work programme:
Attracting and retaining capital and talent to make New Zealand a better place to invest capital, work and do business. The intention here is to minimise biases on economic decisions, reduce international tax barriers and reward effort and investment by individuals in their own skills.
Supporting small businesses, primarily by reducing compliance costs and making tax treatment simpler and fairer.
Simplification and integrity of the tax system, again by reducing compliance costs across the board for all taxpayers but also protecting “against tax avoidance and evasion to maintain a simple, stable and predictable tax system.”
Finally, improving social policy which is described as “improving the delivery of income support payments administered through the tax system and increasing work incentives.”
In addition, a remedial legislation programme plays a very important part in maintaining the New Zealand tax system. The current tax bill going through our Parliament contains 43 remedial amendments covering a wide range of matters.
