A panel at Wanaka's Festival of Colour considers whether taxation is love. Lynn Freeman talks to Max Rashbrooke, Prof. Lisa Marriott and Shamubeel Eaqub in April 2021.

Is tax theft or is it love? A manifestation of the nanny-state or simply evidence of democratic government in action? How can taxation be made fairer?

Many of us want to pay as little as possible yet a panel at this year's Wanaka Festival of Colour argued that taxes - which pool our resources to provide schools, hospitals services and infrastructure - are vital for society to work.

This panel, chaired by Lynn Freeman, ranges around the globe in its discussion about wealth taxes, capital gains taxes, and other approaches which could be taken to ensure that everyone pays their share.

The issue of how to tax multinational corporations which pay only a desultory amount towards the governments of most of the countries in which they make large amounts of revenue is also a hot topic in the conversation.

Lisa Marriott, Shamubeel Eaqub and Max Rashbrooke talk tax with Lynn Freeman

About the speakers

Lisa Marriott is a Professor of Taxation at Victoria University. Her research interests include social justice and inequality, and the behavioural aspects of taxation.

Max Rashbrooke is a journalist, author and academic based in Wellington. His books, led by the best-selling Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis, have aimed to transform our understanding of income and wealth inequality.

Shamubeel Eaqub is a consultant at Sense Partners. His focus is on analytical frameworks to aid economic forecasting, on commentary and incisive research into topical areas of economics. He has a knack for coining memorable terms: zombie towns, generation rent and of course, tax is love.

This audio was broadcast in partnership with the Festival of Colour

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