15% GST in 5 years

'15 per cent GST' danger within five years
By Audrey Young

A tax expert predicts GST could have to rise to 15 per cent within five years, to dig the country out of deficits delivered by the worsening world economy - and big election promises.
John Shewan, a specialist tax partner and chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers New Zealand, said last night that GST could hit 15 per cent and the top personal tax rate increase to 45 per cent.

Here are 5 sorry 4 reasons why it won't happen

1. 10% is 1/10, 12.5% is 1/8, 15% is 1/6.66666666666666666667 rounded. In other words a big increase in the time required to work it out.
2. To work out GST on any inclusive item at present just divide the inclusive figure by 9, easily done in the head. When it was 10% we just had to divide by 11. If it is 15% we would have to divide by... err... 7 ... that isn't quite right ... ahhh ... pass the calculator ... and round it ... um is that close enough?
3. GST as it stands is a very simple and inexpensive tax to implement. Adding any exceptions or increasing to a fraction of a fraction will change that very quickly!
4. Increasing GST to non user friendly number instead of just increasing taxes elsewhere just seems like a dumb idea.

Seriously do we need any more reasons why it is a bad idea?

Here's an idea, how about knocking GST down to 10% and giving us all an income tax increase instead?

Hang on, have we been there before?

Next the 'experts' will be promoting user pays

mmm...

Been there before as well.