'The speed is good': Hitting fast forward on FIF changes may halt entrepreneur flight

Sam Blackman, back in hometown Rotorua, may stick around for a tax policy less punishing to startup founders. (Image: Supplied)

Garth Bray

Fri, 21 Mar 2025

A new capital gains tax on individuals at a 70% discount rate might seem like an odd win, but entrepreneurs who had planned to depart New Zealand before facing more immediate liability are now reconsidering as details emerge of rapid changes coming to the foreign investment fund (FIF) tax regime.“It significantly increases the likelihood of us sticking around,” Sam Blackman, an NZ entrepreneur among those making the case for change, said.Hard on the heels of an announcement last week timed for the infrastructure investment summit in...

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