为了“保证减税”，国家党政府取消了研发基金，而研发基金却是各国技术兴商、提高生产力的首要举措之一。霍议员说：“新西兰企业用于研发和再生产的资金本来就不足，只占国民生产总值的0.51%.相比而言，澳大利亚研发基金占1.15%，日本占了2.62%，美国1.89%，而OECD国家平均占1.56%.”霍议员说，为了减税——尽管减税承诺并没有兑现——而取消研发基金，真应了中国的一句成语：杀鸡取卵。

 

霍议员对法案将“自动减税”从原来的19.5%提高到38%也表示关注。根据这一提案，存款/投资者如果不及时通知银行申报相应税率，银行则按上限38%扣税。这个改变自2010年4月开始施行。因此霍议员表示，作为国会财经委员会委员，他将在专业委员会层面，听取业界意见。

 

附：霍议员国会讲稿英文

 

[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.]

RAYMOND HUO (Labour) : The Taxation (Consequential Rate Alignment and Remedial Matters) Bill is a technical bill that continues one of Labour’s work streams and makes some necessary changes. Tax cuts have been made to the individual and company tax rates. The bill introduces new resident withholding tax rates on interest income to align them with the new tax rates. The new rates for individuals will be 12.5 percent, 21 percent, 33 percent, and 38 percent, depending on their income. The bill introduces a new default rate of 38 percent for people who do not notify the bank of their correct tax rate. The new default rate will apply to accounts opened from 1 April 2010. That change has raised some concerns, and I will come back to that matter later.

 

Other changes in the bill include, firstly, aligning tax rates on portfolio investment entities with the new personal tax rates. Secondly, the bill introduces a new 12.5 percent secondary code and a new 12.5 percent withholding tax rate for extra pays. That brings the withholding rates on employment income into alignment with new personal tax rates. Thirdly, there are other changes concerning forestry and climate change, and tax returns and trusts.

 

It interests me that this bill is a good reminder of some important issues. The first issue is in relation to the magic words “tax cuts”. The National-led Government came into office with grand promises of a tax-cut programme that would benefit everyone. Many will recall that, at the end of last year, this honourable House was put into urgency to pass legislation to enable the National-led Government to implement tax cuts. Not long ago, this honourable House was put into urgency again so that the Government could cancel those tax cuts. In other words, in its very first Budget in May the National-led Government broke its No. 1 election promise, which it campaigned on tirelessly, and cancelled the next two runs of tax cuts. Sure, it did pass a tax cut package, but that gave one-third of the tax cuts to only the top 3 percent of taxpayers, or to borrow Mr John Boscawen’s word, to the top 3 percent of the “privileged” taxpayers. The April 2009 changes to personal taxation affect only people earning $40,000 or more, so 71 percent of taxpayers, or, again to borrow Mr Boscawen’s words, those who are “underprivileged”, received no tax cuts at all. It is regrettable, particularly at this time of the economic downturn, because there would otherwise be ample opportunity for the Government to redirect its tax plan to ensure that the tax cuts would benefit those who needed them the most and who would have spent them. This would also have served to boost the economy and save jobs.

 

Secondly, another magic word, or I should say, magic name, is Dr Don Brash, who has recently been appointed by the National-led Government to lead the productivity task force. This naturally brings us to the issue of productivity. It is deeply regrettable that the research and development tax credits were scrapped by the National-led Government. It appears that the sole reason the National-led Government scrapped the research and development tax credits was to fund its tax package. It is illogical because, as I said earlier, the No. 1 grand promise of a tax cut programme benefiting everyone was broken. Moreover, to fund the No. 1 election promise—which was broken anyway—at the cost of innovation and productivity recalls the ancient Chinese idiom “killing the hen to get the eggs”. New Zealand business expenditure on research and development is one-third of the OECD average, namely 0.51 percent of GDP. Treasury considered that figure a drag on New Zealand’s productivity growth and competitiveness, and advised the Government to retain the tax credit. That advice was given on the basis that the credit offered a more effective means of incentivising business research and development than discretionary grants, as the credit was more driven by business and could reach many more firms.

 

The main disparity between New Zealand and other countries is in the low research and development spending from business as a percentage of GDP. Total research and development spending in New Zealand, as mentioned by my colleague Stuart Nash, is only 0.51 percent. That is low compared with spending in Australia of 1.15 percent, in Japan of 2.62 percent, in the UK of 1.1 percent, in the US of 1.89 percent, and the OECD average of 1.56 percent. International evidence shows that well-designed research and development tax credits can, and will, have a positive impact on productivity growth. Treasury advised the incoming Government that the research and development tax credit should be retained. Therefore, a sensible move by Dr Don Brash would be to advise the National-led Government to reinstate the research and development tax credits.

 

Furthermore, it is equally regrettable that, by cutting the incentives for KiwiSaver, the National Government is decreasing the amount that New Zealanders will save. The low savings rates and the spending habits of New Zealanders are two obvious reasons behind the KiwiSaver scheme. The Government’s move has created huge uncertainty for the over 1.1 million New Zealanders who have already signed up, and it takes opportunities away from future generations.

 

The fourth issue is related to the changes made to the default rate. The bill introduces a new default rate of 38 percent for people who do no notify the bank of their correct tax rate. We have heard concerns that those tax changes being proposed will catch investors unaware and may see them pay more tax on their investment income. Mr Peter Truman was quoted in the Otago Daily Times as saying: “many New Zealanders did not get around to notifying their financial institutions of their correct tax rate, … Therefore, we have the Government increasing its tax take from those who are not motivated or organised enough to advise financial institutions of their correct tax rate.”

 

As a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, I look forward to submissions on this bill. Thank you very much.