Report Finds Wealthiest New Zealanders Pay Half the Tax of Most, Sparking Calls For Tax Hikes

New Zealand's 10, 20, and 50 cent pieces sit in the palm of a hand in Auckland, New Zealand, on July 31, 2006. Sandra Mu/Getty Images

Calls to increase the taxation of the wealthy have resurfaced in New Zealand after a report by the country’s tax department found that the wealthiest Kiwis paid less effective tax than most others.

Inland Revenue (IRD) conducted a two-year investigation into how much tax the wealthy people in New Zealand pay based on the full income information of the 311 wealthiest individuals in the country.