Last year, the Green Party hit the headlines for suggesting banks, fuel companies, supermarkets, building products suppliers and energy generators/retailers should pay tax on super profits. So, as we go into the election, we should give some thought as to whether some new innovative taxes are warranted.
For example, in Canada, kids cereal manufacturers have tax exempt status if their cereal contains a free toy. California was the first US State back in 1991 to apply California State Income Tax to out-of-State athletes that played in California, colloquially known as “jock tax”. Today, over half of the US States have a jock tax. To protect the over harvestation of blueberries, the US state of Maine charges a small tax per pound of blueberries harvested.
So, if we had the opportunity, what would we do….
- Do we provide the All Blacks and Black Ferns a personal tax rebate each time they win, or do we increase their tax rate when they lose.
- Should politicians get taxed each time they don’t give a clear concise answer – a maximum percentage might be needed for that one.
- Tax fast food vendors each time they forget part of an order.
- Tax weather forecasters each time it rains on a predicted ‘sunny’ day.
- Tax cars that speed up in passing lanes.
The ideas are endless…
