Govt Continues Supporting Big Business in Their Battle Against the Gig-Economy
November 8, 2022
Most Airbnb owners and Uber drivers do not need to levy GST directly themselves as their incomes from the “gig economy” usually fall under the $60,000 threshold above which the self-employed and other businesses need to register for and levy GST.
That has raised the question of whether the gig-economy companies themselves should be required to levy the tax on the services provided through their platforms.
Announcing the proposed tax change in August, Revenue Minister David Parker said there was a question of fairness at stake.
“The traditional suppliers of services do charge GST on their services, while people earning revenue in the platform economy may not.”
“This can give them an advantage over traditional suppliers,” he said.