Some of the wealthiest Kiwis in Aotearoa know they pay lower tax rates than most - and have signed a letter explicitly asking to pay more.
In an open letter, titled Sharing wealth through paying more tax, 90 of the country's richest addressed "the public and the politicians of Aotearoa New Zealand," and asked that they be made to pay higher tax rates.
The letter bluntly asked politicians to "back a tax system that asks more from those who can most afford it".
"We write as people who are frustrated with how much tax we pay. We want to pay more," the letter opens.
"As people leading financially comfortable lives, we might be expected to be anti-tax. But we recognise tax as a shared contribution to our collective success. It funds everything from the teachers who give our children a great start, to the DOC rangers who look after our environment, through to the health care professionals on whom we all rely."
The letter acknowledges ongoing issues that "will require a bigger tax contribution from those who can afford it," including future-proofing infrastructure from natural disasters such as Cyclone Gabrielle, and helping fund social services at a time where one in seven kiwi children live in poverty.
It is in direct response to two reports released by Inland Revenue and Treasury on April 26, which found that 311 of Aotearoa's richest families pay an effective tax rate of 9.4%, less than half of the 20.2% rate paid by the general population.
"Inland Revenue research shows that nearly half the country’s wealthiest people pay a lower tax rate than minimum-wage workers. Often that's because much of their income is capital gains, which aren't usually taxed," the letter reads
In a pre-Budget announcement on April 27, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins ruled out including a wealth tax, capital gains tax, or cyclone recovery levy in the 2023 Budget.
"This will be an orthodox no-frills Budget focused on funding the things most important to New Zealanders like support with the cost of living and cyclone recovery. There will also not be any major new tax changes," Hipkins said at the time.
The open letter signatories range from business moguls to celebrities, to ex-political figures, to university professors.
Among them are Les Mills founder Phillip Mills, who has a net worth of $300 million, and Outrageous Fortune actress Robyn Malcolm, who is worth around $5 million.
Former Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell, who is worth $12 million and was sacked from the role in February, has also signed on to the cause.
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