‘Don’t pay taxes’

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 1 (Supplement)

‘Don’t pay taxes’

The perfect choice in Father’s Day books for the benevolent dictator or confirmed capitalist, “Don’t Pay Taxes” by Wayne Innes is sure to provoke interesting discussion. if not open warfare, around the family table.

“Don’t Pay Taxes” was originally published in 1978, and is already in its second edition — proof of the popularity of Innes’s reasoning and philosophy. In this readable and well-constructed work, the former Auckland University lecturer puts forward a convincing case for a

total “re-think" of New Zealand’s social and economic policies. The first section of the book looks at the defects of New Zealand cities and the run-down of the welfare state, offering interesting alternatives to our present system. The second part examines our economic foundations and the danger of the country’s degeneration into a “banana republic.” “Don’t Pay Taxes” is a truly absorbing book — the kind that is opened for a glance and devoured on the spot. The arguments are expounded logi-

cally and interestingly, but the author retains a sense of humour throughout. The effect is to make wha. is essentially a treatise on economics and politics into appealing and informative literature.

Many of Innes’s con. tentions may be disputed by believers in the “Godzone” principle. The treatment of the country’s problems is hard-hitting and very much to the point, however. A thought provoking — and indeed, provocative — book, “Don’t Pay Taxes” could change your father’s life,