The Briefing

The New Zealand Government has set up a Tax Working Group to consider reforms of the tax system. In this blog we briefly discuss some of the opportunities for tax reform that will potentially improve health and lower health costs, reduce health inequalities and enhance environmental sustainability.

From 1 April 2018, the UK is putting in place a type of sugary drinks tax – actually a “soft drinks industry levy”. This blog reviews how they are doing it, early signs of its success, and ponders its relevance for NZ.

The Government has an action plan to tackle childhood obesity, but it lacks a tax on sugary drinks – a strategy for which there is good evidence. We look at a new Treasury Report on soft drink tax price elasticities that has just emerged.

In this blog we take a brief look at what potential there is for revising the NZ tax system from a public health perspective.

What is known about tobacco tax increases in this country, what remains unknown, and what might be needed for the next phase of tobacco taxation-related policy and research?

In this blog, we briefly analyse eight common arguments raised in opposition to health related food taxes, and consider their basis drawing on the best available NZ and international evidence.

An article we published last week generated plenty of debate in particular on the complexities of taxing food. In this blog, Professor Nick Wilson argues that, yes, such tax packages have to be well designed (and more research would be helpful), but nevertheless that there is much that could be potentially gained by taxes on saturated fat.