Index of Tax Working Group documents

Taxpayer advocate recommendation from the TWG

This report briefs Ministers on the TWG’s recommendation in its interim report to establish an independent taxpayer advocate service to assist small-to-medium sized taxpayers in managing disputes with Inland Revenue.

Reference: IR2018/762

PDF (145 KB; 7 pages)

Tax Working Group – officials' initial advice on potential tax reforms for Budget 2019

This report outlines officials’ initial high-level views on the key reform measures being considered by the TWG, ahead of the release of the final report.

Reference: IR2018/800, T2018/3429

Inclusion of asset groups in a capital gains tax

This report assesses several design options of potential capital gains tax changes: staggering the application of changes to different assets; excluding business assets; and excluding baches.

Reference: IR2018/803, T2018/3721

Extending the taxation of capital gains: response to Ministers’ requests on business impacts

This report responds to Ministerial requests for information on a tax-free threshold or exemption for small business owners from potential capital gains tax changes, and options to reduce valuation costs if a Valuation Day approach is undertaken.

Reference: IR2019/015, T2019/18

Tax Working Group recommendations: Family home and second homes

This report discusses what the definition of the exempt “family home” should be for taxing capital gains, its relationship to the current “bright line” main home definition, and whether second homes (baches) should be included in the taxable base for capital gains taxation or be exempt.

Reference: IR2019/014, T2019/035

Tax Working Group: Extending the Chair’s appointment

This report seeks Ministerial approval for extending the appointment of the Chair of the TWG and attaches a letter to extend the appointment of the Chair to 30 June 2019.

Reference: IR2019/032, T2019/120

Fiscal and distributional analysis [Redacted under s9(2)(f)(iv) of the OIA] KiwiSaver proposals

This report provides information on the distributional analysis of the TWG’s KiwiSaver proposals.

Reference: IR2019/013, T2019/1

Tax Working Group final report

This is a covering report for the delivery of the TWG’s final report to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Revenue. It does not contain any advice.

Reference: IR2019/040, T2019/174

TWG final report - Draft Cabinet paper and draft briefing materials

This report provides the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Revenue with a number of materials related to the TWG’s final report. These materials are:

• A Cabinet paper summarising the report’s key findings. This Cabinet paper has already been publicly released and is available at http://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/publications/2019-ir-cab-19-sub-0176/cabinet-paper.
• A ‘covering note’ that was intended to help inform possible communication materials around the final report.
• An A3 that summarises key information from the final report.
• A slide pack that summarises key information from the final report.

Reference: IR2019/048, T2019/155

TWG final report – officials’ companion advice

This report summarises officials’ high-level views on the key recommendations of the TWG’s final report and sought Ministerial direction for how to support them to deliver a potential tax reform package. Delivery of this report accompanied the delivery of the TWG’s final report to the Government.

Reference: IR2019/041, T2019/113

Further information on TWG issues raised

This report responds to issues raised by the Minister of Revenue at a meeting with officials. Those issues are: the economic effects of capital gains taxes in other jurisdictions, whether capital gains should be taxed at a lower rate than other income, and how the system of taxing capital gains recommended by the TWG compares with capital gains taxes in other jurisdictions.

Reference: IR2019/031, T2019/175

Major design issues in the taxation of capital gains

This report seeks direction from Ministers on their initial views on key capital gains tax design decisions, including the tax rate, inflation adjustment, roll-over relief, capital losses, and the treatment of Māori collectively-owned assets.

Reference: IR2019/061, T2019/246

Further information on potential distributional impacts of extending the taxation of capital gains

This report provides additional information on potential distributional impacts of capital gains tax changes. The two attachments to the report are already publicly available at https://taxworkinggroup.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-09/twg-bg-3970237-distributional-analysis-and-incidence.pdf and https://taxworkinggroup.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-09/twg-bg-distributional-analysis.pdf.

Reference: IR2019/068, T2019/242

TWG final report – officials’ companion advice, table of recommendations

This report provides officials’ views on how the Government could respond to the recommendations made by the TWG.

Reference: IR2019/062, T2019/243

KiwiSaver and the taxation of retirement savings

This report advises Ministers on the Chamberlain and Littlewood submission on tax concessions for saving. The report also provides a brief explanation of the Australian retirement income system.

Reference: IR2019/081, T2019/297

High-level comparisons of Australia and New Zealand tax system

This note compares the New Zealand and Australian tax systems in light of the TWG’s recommendations for extending the taxation of capital gains.

Briefing note: BN2019/095, T2019/422

Options for extension of tax on capital gains

This report provides advice on the option for taxing capital gains for all land and buildings (both residential and non-residential).

Reference: IR2019/085, T2019/403

Options for building a package of tax reform

This report provides fiscal context and costings to inform decisions on a possible reform package for Budget 2019.

Reference: IR2019/103, T2019/341

KiwiSaver distributional scenarios – taxing share gains and TWG recommendations

This aide memoire analyses the impact of the TWG’s proposals on the build-up of balances in KiwiSaver accounts for different income earners.

Reference: T2019/538

Further advice on potential asset coverage

This report advises Ministers on two potential asset exclusions from capital gains taxation: excluding capital gains from corporate assets from a comprehensive capital gains tax, and exempting a second home from a tax on the capital gains from residential property.

Reference: IR2019/111, T2019/563

Capital gains and labour income

This report advises Ministers on whether returns from entrepreneurship should be taxed at the same rate as other income.

Reference: IR2019/116, T2019/558

Further information on fiscal impacts of potential tax reform options

This report provides information on the fiscal impacts of potential tax reform options.

Reference: T2019/512

Table – Tax Working Group recommendations

This report provides an updated version of a table from an earlier report (see document number 14 – IR2019/062, T2019/243).

Reference: IR2019/128, T2019/610

Options for extending taxation on capital gains

This note attaches an A3 providing a high-level summary of the main choices in extending the taxation of capital gains.

Reference: IR2019/132, T2019/618

Interactions between Tax Working Group and Welfare Expert Advisory Group

This report compares the findings of the TWG and WEAG reports.

Reference: IR2019/122, T2019/531, MSD REP/19/3/172

Summary table: Options for extending taxation on capital gains

This report provides a summary of the table already provided in an earlier report (see document number 24 – IR2019/132, T2019/618), which compares options for taxing capital gains (by asset classes) against various measures.

Reference: IR2019/134, T2019/634

Further advice on capital tax design issues

This report provides an analysis of benefits and costs to making exclusions and special rules within a capital gains tax regime.

Reference: IR2019/142, T2019/664

Small business and KiwiSaver exemptions

This report provides preliminary advice on the potential design of capital gains tax exemptions for small businesses (including farms) and KiwiSaver.

Reference: IR2019/154, T2019/760

Timeline for decisions: Tax Working Group

This briefing note seeks a discussion with Ministers over the timing of a response to the TWG final report.

Reference: BN2019/165

Taxing residential property – main home plus one exclusion rule

This briefing note discusses officials’ preliminary views on the option of allowing a capital gains tax exclusion for the family home plus one other residential property.

Reference: BN2019/210, T2019/1071

Cabinet paper: Government response to the Tax Working Group – final version for lodgement

This is a cover report attaching the Cabinet paper for the Government’s response to the TWG, which was announced on 17 April 2019. The Cabinet paper itself is already publicly available at http://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/publications/2019-ir-cab-19-sub-0176/cabinet-paper.

Reference: IR2019/213, T2019/1076