The majority of New Zealanders don't think people earning over $180,000 should pay less tax, the latest 1News Kantar Public Poll suggests in light of National's proposal to scrap the top tax bracket.
Labour brought in an additional tax rate last year for income earned above $180,000 per year at 39%.
National has promised to reverse the new tax income rate. That would mean income earned over $180,000 would be taxed at 33%.
Those polled were asked: The National Party wants to cut the top tax rate of 39% for the highest income earners in New Zealand. Do you think people earning over $180,000 should pay less tax?
The 1News Kantar Public Poll showed 65% were not in favour of cutting tax for those earning over $180,000, while 25% supported the higher earners paying less tax. Ten per cent did not know, or refused to answer.
Even among National supporters there was more opposition to those earning over $180,000 paying less tax (49%), compared to those who were in support (41%).
The groups of voters who were more likely than average (65%) to oppose the higher income earners paying less tax were Green Party supporters (90%), Labour supporters (81%), Wellingtonians (77%), women aged 55 and over (76%) and those with an annual household income of $30,001-$70,000.
Those who were more likely than average (25%) to support the higher income earners paying less tax were National supporters, those earning over $150,000 per year (36%), men aged 35-54 (33%) and Aucklanders (32%).
Despite an overwhelming lack of support for the proposed tax cuts, National Party leader Christopher Luxon remained staunchly in favour.
“The reason we want to unwind the 39% rate is that we want to be able to attract doctors, surgeons, engineers – people that we’re desperate to attract to New Zealand," he told 1News.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the proposed tax cuts "shows how out of touch Chris Luxon and the National Party are".
“At a time when many New Zealand low- and middle-income families are struggling, their priority is to cut the taxes of the highest earning New Zealanders.”
Between July 30 and August 3, 2022, 1023 eligible voters were polled by mobile phone (504) and online, using online panels (519). The maximum sampling error is approximately ±3.1%-points at the 95% confidence level. The data has been weighted to align with Stats NZ population counts for age, gender, region, education level and ethnic identification. The sample for mobile phones is selected by random dialling using probability sampling, and the online sample is collected using an online panel.
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