Plain English Tax Panel disestablished

Revenue Minister Todd McClay has today announced that the Rewrite Advisory Panel of public and private sector tax experts has been disestablished.

The Rewrite Advisory Panel comprised representatives from the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, the New Zealand Law Society and Inland Revenue – along with an independent Chair.

The Panel was set up in 1995 to help with the progressive rewrite of New Zealand’s tax law into plain English. In 2004, on the recommendation of Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee, the Panel’s role was extended to help deal with any unintended legislative consequences arising from the rewrite process.

Mr McClay says the Panel has now achieved what it set out to do, and following a handover period to Inland Revenue announced in June this year, the Panel has been wound up.

“I am grateful for the work of the Panel members and their current Chair, David McClay, and past Chairs Colin Blair and Sir Ivor Richardson, in providing an effective vehicle for dealing with tax remedial issues that have arisen as a result of the rewrite of the law.

“Inland Revenue will continue to consider addressing unintended legislative consequences from rewriting the law within its remedial work programme,” says Mr McClay.